It is a strong poison. Potently toxic substances

The world-famous medieval physician and alchemist Paracelsus once said: “Everything is poison, everything is medicine; both are determined by the dose.” Even too much water can cause death. However, some substances will require a tiny amount - this will be enough to cause death. Sometimes just one drop is enough to fall on hands unprotected by gloves - these are the substances that are classified as very toxic. Among the deadly substances there are also organic substances plant nature, and heavy metals, and gases synthesized by man. We have prepared for you a list of the most dangerous of them - the 25 most deadly toxic substances.

The most poisonous substance in the world for humans is cyanide.

The most common forms of cyanide are a colorless gas or crystals, but regardless of the form, the substance is mortal danger. To some people, cyanide smells like bitter almonds.

Cyanide poisoning is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: headache, nausea, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of general malaise. Without timely medical intervention, cyanide will kill the body, causing oxygen starvation of cells. Vial of cyanide

Cyanide is contained in apple seeds, but do not rush to rinse your stomach after eating a few seeds - the concentration of the dangerous substance in them is extremely insignificant. You would have to eat more than ten whole apple stalks before you feel the effects of cyanide poisoning. But, of course, you shouldn’t do this.

Hydrofluoric acid, or hydrofluoric acid, is a chemical required to produce polytetrafluoroethylene, more commonly known as Teflon. It is also an extremely toxic poison.
Container with hydrofluoric acid

If a liquid containing even a small amount of hydrofluoric acid gets on the skin, there is a high probability that the poison will enter through the capillaries. circulatory system. When it reacts with calcium, it will begin to break down your bones.

Fortunately, getting this substance on the skin is painless, and the process of penetration through the skin is not instantaneous, so you will have enough time to wash this dangerous substance off yourself.

Arsenic has been known since ancient times. It occurs naturally in pure form and in the form of sulfides. It is a crystalline semimetal in form. Medieval alchemists, including the already mentioned Paracelsus, were involved in the synthesis of arsenic.
Glass vial of arsenic

This substance, until the end of the 19th century, was the most common poison used to commit murders. A victim poisoned with arsenic dies within a few hours to several days. This practice dates back to the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The characteristic symptoms of arsenic poisoning were severe vomiting and diarrhea, which at the time could easily be confused with symptoms of cholera or dysentery.

Belladonna

This plant has also been known since ancient times, and it was used both in Europe and in Rus'. All parts of belladonna are very toxic, especially the roots. The least poisonous are the berries, and yet two berries will be enough to kill a one-year-old child.
Belladonna berries, flowers and leaves

In medieval Italy, the juice of this plant was dropped into the eyes of local fashionistas - thanks to the atropine content in it, the pupils dilated, and the gaze acquired an alluring shine. At the same time, it is atropine alkaloids that lead to poisoning - they actively affect nervous system, first provoking an excited state, and then leading to rage and cardiac arrest. No wonder one of the names of this plant- Crazy berry.

Carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Physical form This substance is a gas without taste, color or odor. This gas is released when coal burns, for example - it is the cause of many deaths in fires.
Clipping from an old magazine warning of danger carbon monoxide

This substance disrupts the process of oxygen transfer, which causes oxygen starvation in cells. Symptoms of poisoning are general physical weakness, dizziness and headache, nausea, drowsiness. Fortunately, carbon monoxide poisoning is reversible - timely resuscitation measures can “bring back to life” a person who has inhaled carbon monoxide.

The fruits of the Manchineel tree, also called manchinella, look like green apples, but don’t rush to taste them. It's best to stay away from this tree altogether - it is one of the most poisonous plants on Earth and certainly the most poisonous in North America.

Manchinella grows in Florida, but you need to be wary of the sap of this tree. Even the wind blowing on you from the direction of this terrible plant can lead to severe itching, and contact with the milky juice on the skin will cause painful blisters, dermatitis and severe burns. Smoke from burning branches of this tree can cause blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes. Well, it’s not worth talking about the fruits.
Manchineel tree danger warning

Interesting fact: local Indians, during the Spanish conquest of these lands, used an extract from manchinella root as one of the components of a terrible poison, which was used to smear arrowheads. From one such arrow that hit the leg, a famous man died for a long time and painfully. spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon.

This substance is the most active non-metal, interacting with literally anything. If it comes into contact with the skin, such gas will cause a severe chemical burn. It can also contribute to eye damage, including blindness. If you're addicted organic chemistry- remember, fluoride is not to be trifled with.

This compound is found both in industrial pesticides and in the sap of some Australian plants and South Africa(Dichapetalum cymosum). Consumption of the latter leads to the death of about 8% of livestock grazing in the areas where it grows. What is characteristic is that there is no antidote for this substance. For humans, the lethal dose is 5 mg per 1 kg.
Fluoroacetic acid warning

The most dangerous poison created by man is called dioxin - only 50 micrograms are required for an adult. This is the third most toxic poison known to science - it is 60 times more toxic than cyanide!
Warning about contamination of the area with dioxins

This substance, or rather a whole group of substances, denoted by a single term for ease of perception, belongs to the group of xenobiotics, that is, substances alien to the natural biotic substances of the Earth. This is a consequence chemical industry and waste recycling. Dioxins are also a cumulative poison, that is, they gradually accumulate both in the environment and in the bodies of living beings, leading to terrible changes.

Dimethylmercury

This colorless liquid is a powerful neurotoxin. Even thick latex gloves will not save you from its effects. This fact confirmed tragic death inorganic chemist Karen Wetterhahn in 1996. A few drops of the substance that fell on the scientist’s glove led to death - after 4 months, symptoms of poisoning began to appear, and six months later the woman died.

Aconite, also known as Fighter, is a whole family of plants, many of which are prized for their beautiful flowers. However, all of them are extremely toxic, however, this only applies to juice. The most poisonous parts of plants are the tubers; the active substance is the aconitine alkaloid.
Aconite plant containing aconitine

According to legend, these plants sprouted from the saliva of Cerberus, whom Hercules brought from the underground kingdom of Hades. What does this legend indicate? The fact that the plant was widely known already in Ancient Greece.

Some modern “healers” promote the idea of ​​treating cancer and many other diseases with tincture of aconite. The clinical effectiveness of this treatment has not been proven and is associated with risks to your health.

Substances of this group are found in poisonous mushrooms, including toadstool, among others. The effect of this poison on the body is extremely destructive - the work of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and heart is paralyzed. Necrosis of liver tissue occurs.
Pale toadstools containing amatoxin

In case of poisoning, the first symptoms appear very sharply after 5 hours or more - depending on the degree of poisoning, its active phase can begin even after a day. The condition is rapidly deteriorating - bloody diarrhea, terrible pain in the abdominal cavity, severe vomiting. Mushroom poisoning with amatoxin in most cases is severe and requires immediate medical intervention.

Three out of four people who contract this bacterium die, even if they are hospitalized and treated. You can get infected from livestock used for agriculture. However, the disease is very acute, so that foci of infection, if they occur, can be promptly identified and destroyed, along with the carriers.
Fencing a quarantine zone due to an anthrax outbreak

Hemlock

You may know this plant under the name Hemlock, or Omega. It is a distant relative of celery and is a carrier of one of the strongest poisons among the plant kingdom. According to legend, the ancient Greek thinker Socrates was once poisoned with it.

This plant is popular as a murder weapon. Most often it is added to the victim's food under the guise of salad. Poisoning leads to severe convulsions, pain and death. Even if the poisoned person survives, the consequences in the form of amnesia, severe tremors and clouding of reason can haunt him for the rest of his life.
Hemlock plant containing hemlock

IN early XIX Hemlock-based drugs have been used as pain relievers for centuries.

This is the main ingredient of rat poison, a powerful pesticide. Was synthesized from seeds tropical tree chilibuha, also known as vomit nut. Strychnine will have no less effective effect on humans than on pests - death from a dose of 50 mg can occur for an adult half an hour after poisoning.
Strychnine bottle

You can become poisoned by strychnine by inhaling its fumes, applying it to the skin, or inadvertently taking it orally. Symptoms appear almost immediately - vomiting and painful convulsions.

Strychnine is one of the most popular poisons, often appearing in literary works, cinema and even comics.

A powerful paralytic poison produced by dinophyte algae. The most potent non-protein toxin, having the most complex cell structure for a non-protein compound produced by a living organism.
Dinoflagellates - plankton that produce maytotoxin

In addition, it is the most terrible “sea” poison. Its source is essentially plankton. Fortunately, poisoning requires an extremely high concentration of these microorganisms, so the risk of accidental poisoning is virtually zero.

Previously, mercury was actively used in thermometers and medical thermometers. Moreover, mercury is the only volatile metal whose vapor poisoning can be fatal. Mercury can cause tissue necrosis, blindness, kidney failure, amnesia and central nervous system paralysis.
This is what liquid mercury looks like

Interesting fact: after analyzing the remains of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, scientists came to the conclusion that the last representative of the Rurikovich family for a long time they poisoned him with mercury, from which he eventually died.

Another deadly metal, but this time it is radioactive. In the last 50 years it has been a popular weapon for demonstrative murder. Alexander Litvinenko, Yasser Arafat, Alexander Goldfarb and others died from polonium poisoning.
Polonium in its natural state

Polonium-210 is 250 thousand times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. For the death of an adult male, 10 mcg of this isotope entering his body will be sufficient. So, to kill ten million people you would need about a gram of polonium. Typically, the alpha particles of this substance are not able to penetrate the skin, so for polonium poisoning it is necessary to enter the body, for example, through the respiratory tract or oral cavity.

This poison is found in all parts of Cerberus trees, named after the guardian of the gates of the kingdom of Hades. Even the smoke from this tree can cause serious poisoning. The effect of the poison leads to cardiac arrest.
Fruits of the Cerberus tree

In Madagascar, until 1861, eating Cerberus fruits was used in trials and was a kind of analogue of the “witch bath” of medieval Europe. If the accused survived after taking it, he was considered innocent, but if he did not survive, it is obvious that guilt can be considered proven.

Botulinum toxin

The most powerful organic poison, neurotoxin. For an adult, the lethal dose will be approximately 0.05 mcg. Entering the body leads to paralysis and further death.
In this form, butulinum toxin is used in aesthetic medicine.

Botox, used in aesthetic medicine, is butulinum toxin, albeit slightly modified.

The bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which produces butulinum toxin, prefer an airless environment. That is why, when spores penetrate canned twists, they activate vital processes, releasing a deadly poison.

Tetrodotoxin

This is the world-famous poison of fugu fish, considered a delicacy in Japan. Once in the body, tetrodotoxin causes respiratory arrest. There is no antidote, but the poisoned person can be saved by supporting the functioning of the respiratory system artificially for some time. However, every year in Japan, several people die from fugu fish poisoning. Several dozen more people are saved.
Fugu fish contains deadly tetrodotoxin

Fugu fish does not produce tetrodotoxin, but only accumulates it from the plankton it consumes, the toxicity of some species of which we have already discussed earlier.

Chemical weapons, military nerve gas. It was created in the mid-30s and was used on the battlefields of World War II and in wars of recent history and major terrorist attacks. Was recognized as a weapon mass destruction.
Demonstration warhead American rocket Honest John, M139 Sarin containers visible (circa 1960s photo)

This gas is colorless, tasteless and odorless. Death from sarin poisoning is terrible and very fast. Antidotes exist, but comprehensive treatment of those poisoned by sarin on the battlefield is virtually impossible. Sarin is one of the substances prohibited from production and stockpiling under the Chemical Weapons Convention, adopted by the UN in 1997.

This poison is produced by a small yellow frog that lives in tropical forests in the southwest of Colombia - the Terrible Leaf Climber. The poison secreted by the skin glands of the frog and serving as its protection from predators is one of the strongest organic non-protein poisons.
A terrible leaf climber that produces batrachotoxin

The action of the poison paralyzes the respiratory system, muscles and heart, leading to its stop. Local Indians use this poison by running a blowpipe dart across the frog's back. After being wounded by such a dart, a person dies in less than 10 minutes. There is no effective antidote, but scientists have now developed synthetic analogs of batrachotoxin that are twice as toxic.

One of the strongest phytotoxins. It is especially dangerous in aerosol form. Found naturally in castor beans and castor beans. You probably know another derivative of this plant - castor oil.
Castor beans containing ricin

The toxicity of ricin is 6 times higher than that of potassium cyanide. Of course, this substance is used as a weapon. The most resonant case of its use is the murder of the Bulgarian dissident Georgiy Markov.

VI-gas

Chemical warfare agent VX is the most powerful man-made poison ever synthesized by man. Weapons based on this gas are still in service with the armies of the United States and Russia, although according to official data, in 2017 the Russian army completely destroyed its stockpiles of chemical weapons, including VX and its analogues.
This is what the storage facility for the most terrible chemical weapons on Earth looks like

It was this poison that killed him at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2017 step-brother Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea.

As you can see, there is enough in the world hazardous substances organic origin. But the most powerful poisons are created by man. Today there are several international agreements prohibiting the production and condemning the use of chemical weapons. But its reserves are still large and cases of its use continue to be recorded. How to avoid becoming a victim of poisoning with the substances described in this article? Be vigilant when working with various chemical reagents, do not eat puffer fish meat, do not pet toads and hope that “ strong of the world This is enough prudence to never use any of the arsenal of weapons of mass destruction that they have at their disposal.

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus famously said: “All substances are poisons; there is not a single one that is not. The right dose makes the difference between the poison,” and he’s right. Even too much water will kill you. However, some substances require very small amount to cause death - sometimes all it takes is for a drop to fall on a gloved hand - which is why they initially fell into the class of poisons. From flowers to heavy metals, from man-made gases to real poison, here are the 25 most dangerous poisons. known to mankind.

25. Cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas or crystals, but in either case it is quite dangerous. It smells like bitter almonds, and once ingested, it can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, and weakness in just a few minutes. If left untreated, cyanide kills because cells are deprived of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don't worry if you eat a few. You will need to eat about ten kernels before you have enough cyanide in your body to have any effect. Negative influence. Please don't do this.

24. Hydrofluoric acid (Fluoric acid) is a poison used, among other things, in the production of Teflon. In its liquid state, this substance can easily seep through the skin into the bloodstream. In the body, it reacts with calcium and can even destroy the underlying bone. The scary part is that the contact doesn't cause any pain at first, leaving more time and opportunity for serious damage to occur.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

23. Arsenic is a naturally occurring crystalline semimetal and perhaps one of the best known and most common poisons used as a murder weapon in the late 19th century. However, its use for such purposes began in the mid-1700s. Arsenic poisoning can cause death within hours or days. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea, which made it difficult to distinguish arsenic poisoning from dysentery or cholera 120 years ago.

Photo: maxpixel

22. Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade is a very poisonous herb (flower) with a very romantic story. What makes it poisonous is an alkaloid called atropine, and the entire plant is poisonous, with the root containing the most poison and the berries the least. However, even two eaten are enough to kill a child. Some people use belladonna for relaxation as a hallucinogen, and in Victorian times women would often drop belladonna tincture into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make their eyes sparkle. Before you die under the influence of belladonna, you may experience a seizure, increased heart rate, and confusion. Don't play with belladonna, kids.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

21. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless substance and slightly less dense than air. It will poison and then kill you. Part of what makes carbon monoxide so dangerous is that it is difficult to detect; sometimes called the "silent killer". This substance prevents the body from delivering oxygen to where it is needed, such as to cells, to keep them alive and functioning. Early symptoms Carbon monoxide poisoning is similar to the flu without fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea and confusion. Fortunately, you can purchase a carbon monoxide detector at almost any specialty store.

Photo: wikimedia commons

20. The deadliest tree in all of North America grows in Florida. Otherwise, where else would he grow? The Manchineel tree or Beach apple tree has small green fruits that look like apples and look like they would taste sweet. Don't eat them. And don't touch this tree. Don't sit next to it or under it, and pray you never end up in the wind under it. If the sap gets on your skin, it will blister, and if it gets in your eyes, you may go blind. The juice is contained in both the leaves and the bark, so do not touch them. Probably, the juice of this plant killed the conquistador Ponce de Leon, who discovered Florida.

Photo: nps.gov

19. Fluorine is a pale yellow gas that is highly poisonous, corrosive and will react with almost anything. For fluorine to be lethal, a concentration of 0.000025% is sufficient. It causes blindness and asphyxiates the victim like mustard gas, but its effects are much worse.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

18. The pesticide used is Compound 1080, also known as sodium fluoroacetate. IN natural form it is found in several plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The terrible truth The thing about this deadly, odorless and tasteless poison is that there is no antidote for it. Oddly enough, the bodies of those who die from ingesting this poison remain poisonous for a whole year.

Photo: lizenzhinweisgenerator.de

17. The most dangerous man-made poison is called dioxin, and it only takes 50 micrograms to kill an adult. It is the third most toxic poison known to science, 60 times more toxic than cyanide.

Photo: wikimedia commons

16. Dimethylmercury (a neurotoxin) is a terrible poison because it can penetrate most standard protective equipment, such as thick latex gloves. This is exactly what happened to a female chemist named Karen Wetterhahn in 1996. A single drop of colorless liquid fell on my gloved hand, and that was it. Symptoms began to appear FOUR MONTHS later, and six months later she was dead.

Photo: wikipedia.org

15. Wolfsbane (Fighter) also known as "Monk's Hood", "Wolfsbane", "Leopard's Venom", "Women's Curse", "Devil's Helm", "Queen of Poisons" and "Blue Rocket". In fact it's whole family, which includes more than 250 herbs, and most of them are extremely poisonous. The flowers can be either blue or yellow, and while some of the plants are used for traditional medicine, it has also been used as a murder weapon over the past decade.

Photo: maxpixel

14. The toxin found in poisonous mushrooms is called amatoxin. It attacks liver and kidney cells and kills them within a few days. Sometimes it also affects the heart and central nervous system. Treatment is available, but results are not guaranteed. The poison is temperature stable and cannot be removed by drying. So unless you are 100% sure they are safe, don't eat mushrooms.

Photo: maxpixel

13. Anthrax is actually caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacteria, but the toxin they produce when they enter the body. Bacillus Anthracis can enter your system through the skin, mouth, or respiratory tract. The mortality rate from airborne anthrax reaches 75% even with treatment.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

12. The hemlock plant is a classic poisonous plant that was regularly used for executions in ancient Greece, including the philosopher Socrates. There are several varieties, and in North America, water hemlock is the most common plant. You could die from eating it, but people still do it, thinking hemlock is a perfectly acceptable salad ingredient. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, cramps and tremors. Those who survive may subsequently suffer amnesia or other long-term problems. Water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Serious note: Supervise your children, even older ones, when they are outside. Don't eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe.

Photo: flickr.com

11. Strychnine is commonly used to kill small mammals and birds, and is often the main ingredient in rat poison. In large doses, strychnine can also be fatal to humans. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or enter the body through the skin. The first symptoms: painful muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting. Muscle contractions ultimately lead to suffocation. Death can occur within half an hour. This is a very unpleasant way to die, for both humans and rats.

Photo: flickr.com

10. Most of those who understand such things consider maytotoxin to be the most powerful marine toxin. It's found in a dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus, and if those words confuse you, just think of deadly plankton to get the point across. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic among non-protein toxins.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

9. Mercury, the silvery liquid in old school thermometers, is a heavy metal that is quite toxic to humans if inhaled or touched. If you touch it, it can cause your skin to peel off, and if you inhale the mercury vapor, it will eventually shut down your central nervous system and you will die. Before then, you are likely to experience kidney failure, memory loss, brain damage and blindness.

Photo: flickr.com

8. Polonium is radioactive chemical element and has been implicated in the deaths of everyone from Yasser Arafat to Russian dissidents. Its most common form is 250,000 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It is radioactive and emits alpha particles (they are not compatible with organic tissues). Alpha particles cannot penetrate the skin, so polonium must be ingested or injected into the victim. However, if this happens, the result will not be long in coming. One theory is that a gram of polonium 210 could kill up to ten million people if injected or ingested, causing first radiation poisoning and then cancer.

Photo: flickr.com

7. Suicide tree or Cerbera odollam acts by disturbing the natural rhythm of the heart and often causing death. A member of the same family as Oleander, the plant was often used to perform the "innocence test" in Madagascar. An estimated 3,000 people a year died from drinking Cerberus poison before the practice was outlawed in 1861. (If you survived, you were found innocent. If you died, it didn't matter because you were dead).

Photo: wikipedia.org

6. Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, and it is an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. It causes paralysis, which can lead to death. You may know botulinum toxin by its commercial name, Botox. Yes, that's what the doctor injects into your mom's forehead to make it less wrinkled (or into her neck to help with migraines) to cause muscle paralysis.

Photo: flickr.com

5. Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries, where it is called Fugu; it's a dish that some would literally die for. Why? Because the insides of the fish contain tetrodotoxin, and in Japan, approximately 5 people a year die from eating puffer fish as a result of improper preparation technology. But gourmets continue to persist.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

4. Sarin gas will give you the opportunity to survive the worst moments of your life. Your chest tightens, tighter, tighter, and then... it relaxes because you are dead. Although Sarin was outlawed in 1995, it has not stopped being used in terrorist attacks.

Photo: flickr

3. golden frog Poison Arrow is tiny, adorable and quite dangerous. Only one frog is the size of the end of your thumb contains enough neurotoxin to kill ten people! A dose equal to about two grains of salt is enough to kill an adult. This is why some Amazon tribes used poison to coat the tips of their hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow will kill you within minutes! Here's a great rule: if you see a frog and it's yellow, blue, green or red, don't touch it.

Photo: maxpixel

2. Ricin is more lethal than anthrax. This substance is obtained from the castor bean, the same plant from which we obtain castor oil. This poison is especially toxic if inhaled, and a pinch of it will kill you very quickly.

Photo: wikimedia commons

1. Codenamed “Purple Possum”, a VX gas, is the most powerful nerve gas on Earth. It is entirely man-made and we can thank the United Kingdom for that. It was technically banned in 1993, and the US allegedly destroyed its stockpile. Other countries are “working on it.” Which we should trust completely because governments are known to be 100% honest about these things.

Photo: wikimedia commons

All of us, one way or another, have encountered such a phenomenon as poisons.

Some enthusiastically read about them in books, some were briefly told about them in school lessons, and some directly worked with them.

Poisons are divided into natural and artificially created, and are present in human history from time immemorial. People, such ruthless and sophisticated creatures, not only learned to extract poison from natural materials, but also decided to go further - they created methods of killing with their own hands. And, I must admit, they did it well.

The heyday of poisons occurred in the dark and mysterious Middle Ages - a time when animal fear, cruelty and unquestioning obedience to religion dominated society. And, as it turned out, the endless games of the nobility with death, in the struggle for the throne, became the final touch in the dark trail of the Middle Ages.
However, even today poisons have not lost their relevance and continue to interest many people. It’s a pity, of course, that it’s not only for scientific purposes.

But, if you found this article out of pure curiosity, why not?
Check out the top 10 most dangerous poisons in the world.

Everyone knows the dangerous effects of mercury on the human body. That is why we were so often told to be careful with thermometers and immediately take appropriate measures if it turned out to be broken.

Theoretically, there are three forms of mercury that are deadly to humans: elemental, organic and inorganic mercury. We often encounter elemental mercury in Everyday life- these are the same banal old thermometers or fluorescent lamps. This type of mercury is safe to touch, but can be fatal if inhaled.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning are almost the same in all species, and can range from nausea and seizures to blindness and even memory loss.

If we look at history, arsenic was at one time the most popular poison and a favorite among murderers. It was even called “royal poison.”

The use of arsenic began in ancient times (the use of this poison was even attributed to Caligula), mainly in order to eliminate enemies and competitors in the endless struggle for the throne - no matter whether royal or papal. Arsenic was the poison of choice for all European nobility during the Middle Ages.

Its popularity was justified by various factors - both power and availability. For example, in Great Britain, arsenic was sold in pharmacies as a rodent poison.

However, while in Europe arsenic brought only death and suffering, traditional Chinese medicine For two thousand years, it has been used to treat diseases such as syphilis and psoriasis. Nowadays, scientists have experimentally proven that leukemia can be treated with arsenic. And it was Chinese doctors who discovered that such a strong poison was able to successfully block proteins responsible for the growth and reproduction of cancer cells.

Quite a sensational poison in its time.

Anthrax is a frequent guest in medicines mass media due to a large batch of letters infected by it and sent innocent victims in USA. As a result of this attack, 10 people died and another 17 were seriously infected.

In this regard, a huge general paranoia broke out in the country, affecting millions. And, I must admit, it’s not in vain. After all, anthrax is caused by bacteria, and one breath is enough for complete infection. Such a strong poison is spread by spores that are released into the air.

After infection, the victim feels only a chill, which gradually turns into impaired breathing, and then to a stop. The mortality rate from this disease reaches as much as 90% in the first week from the moment of infection.

This famous toxin has become literally synonymous with poison.

Potassium cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas with the smell of bitter almonds (does everyone remember Agatha Christie's novels?), or crystals. Cyanide is present almost everywhere: this poison is capable of naturally form in some foods and plants.

Also, cyanide is present in cigarettes. It is used in the manufacture of plastics, printing photographs, and, of course, potassium cyanide is a must in the composition of insect baiting agents.

Cyanide poisoning can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or even simple touching. The slightest dose is enough for the poison, once in the body, to paralyze the blood flow and block the access of oxygen. Death occurs almost instantly.

Potassium cyanide was actively used during World War I, and was banned along with all chemical weapons later, in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

Sarin is one of the most powerful nerve gases, which is considered a weapon of mass destruction. Death from this poison is always incredibly painful and brings terrible agony to the victim. Causing complete suffocation, Sarin kills a person in just a minute, which, however, seems like an eternity to the victim.

Despite the fact that the production of Sarin has been prohibited by law since 1993, since then quite a few cases of its use have been recorded. For example, in terrorist attacks or chemical warfare. Stands out especially strongly against this background chemical attack one thousand nine hundred and ninety-five in the Tokyo subway and riots in Syria and Iraq.

Strychnine was originally extracted from trees that grew in South-East Asia and India.

Pure strychnine powder white, has a bitter taste and is fatal when ingested by any route, be it by injection or inhalation.

Despite the fact that the original purpose of strychnine was to use it as a pesticide, it has been added to drugs such as cocaine and heroin on many occasions.

When poisoned with strychnine, many symptoms may appear within thirty minutes, such as: muscle spasms, respiratory failure, nausea, vomiting, and it is not uncommon that the entire process of spreading the poison throughout the body ends in brain death. And all this in just half an hour!

The mushroom, which contains such a powerful poison, looks, unfortunately, no more dangerous than its edible counterparts. However, just thirty grams of the deadly mushroom can send a person to the “other world.”

Amatoxin has an incredibly destructive effect on the human body. This poison can cause serious damage to the kidneys and liver and cause death of organ cells in just a couple of days. Also, it often causes multiple organ failure and even coma.

Amatoxin is such a strong poison that it can seriously harm the heart. In this case, the victim will face certain death, without the immediate administration of an antidote, which, by the way, is a large dose of penicillin. Without an antidote, victims of amatoxin have a 100% chance of falling into a coma and dying from liver or heart failure within a few days.

The “supplier” of this well-known poison is Fugu fish, which at first glance will not seem to you to be particularly dangerous predators. However, their skin, intestines, liver and other organs contain one of the most dangerous and deadly poisons known to mankind.

If improperly prepared, Fugu fish can cause convulsions, paralysis, various mental disorders and many other health problems in those who dare to try it. Despite this danger, because tetrodotoxin is deadly poison, people in many countries continue to order this fish, sometimes even paying an insurance premium in advance.

And although the delicacy is Japanese, and it would seem that it is in Japan that everyone should know how to properly prepare such a “risky” dish, it is in this country that it is registered greatest number victims per year. About three hundred people are poisoned by tetrodotoxin every year, and more than half of them die.

Being a derivative of the castor bean, a perennial, highly poisonous plant, ricin is also considered a natural poison. Therefore, people risk being exposed to it in several ways: through food, air or water. And, depending on this route, the symptoms of ricin poisoning may vary.

However, the principle of damage to the body remains unchanged. Ricin poisons the body, blocking the ability of cells to synthesize proteins necessary for life. As a result, such “blocked” cells die, and this, in turn, often leads to failure of the entire organ that was subjected to the poisonous attack of ricin.

And the fact that ricin is most lethal when inhaled served as a signal for many people who began sending the poison by mail in envelopes, as they once did with anthrax. After all, just one pinch of ricin can kill a person.

If we take all these facts into account, it becomes clear why the decision was made to study ricin as a tool for chemical warfare.

In this article we have listed many poisons that have simply incredible power and can kill in record time. short time. However, many experts in the field of toxicology unanimously agree that botulinum toxin can be called the deadliest poison in the world. By the way, this is what is used in Botox injections to smooth out wrinkles.

This poison leads to botulism, a disease that causes respiratory failure, neurological disorders and other more severe damage.

Several factors led to Botulinum toxin becoming the most dangerous poison on Earth. Its volatile and easily accessible nature, its powerful effects on the body and its frequent use in medicine. For example, just one test tube full of this toxin could potentially kill about a hundred people.

The scope of application of botulinum toxin is multifaceted - starting from the well-known Botox and ending as a method of treating migraines. Therefore, it is not uncommon even deaths among patients as a result of procedures that included Botox injections.

Dictionary of toxic substances

Aconite. This is the name of two plants: one of them is from the daisy family - aconite. (Aconite napellus), and the second member of the buttercup family is Buttercup aconitifolia (Ranunculus aconilifolius). The same name is used when talking about an alkaloid that is obtained from the root of a relative of the buttercup, which is also called aconite or wolfsbane (“wolf root”).

Aconitine. Medicine, as well as poison obtained from aconite.

Alkaloid. A nitrogen-containing base produced by plants. Most alkaloids are biologically active substances, and since many of them are nothing more than strong poisons, it is for this reason that herbivores do not favor them too much... Morphine, codeine, nicotine, cocaine, hyoscyamine, ephedrine, strychnine and atropine - all these are alkaloids.

Aniline. Also known as aminobenzene. This is a toxic industrial solvent that can enter the human body through the skin, food or inhalation.

Anticoagulants. In the strict sense of the word, these are not poisons, but they kill because they prevent the blood from clotting. Poultry farm owners use these substances against rats and mice, since anticoagulants have almost no effect on birds. They are also used in a number of medical applications.

Atropine see Belladonna

Belladonna. This plant (also called belladonna, sleeping stupor, mad cherry - or nightshade) produces atropine, and this alkaloid is also known as daturin. Atropine leads to increased contraction of the heart muscle, causing hallucinations and delirium.

Hemlock (hemlock). Similar to parsley, this plant can slowly kill a person (by paralyzing the respiratory muscles) - and without the convulsions and suffocation that another plant, which is poisonous, causes (Cicula virosa)- and although in English it is called “water hemlock”, it is not related to hemlock. Hemlock is widely known as a poison used in ancient Greece: by decision government agencies, a person sentenced to death had to drink hemlock juice (as the ancient Greeks called it).

Botox. Toxic substance produced by anaerobic bacteria Closlridium botulinum. It is used for medical and cosmetic purposes.

Mushrooms. Many types of mushrooms are poisonous, and some have a stronger toxic effect in the presence of alcoholic beverages. Fly agaric is used both as a poisonous substance and (as is clear from its name) as a means against flies.

Mustard gas. His chemical name dichlorodiethyl sulfide, but it became much better known as mustard gas after the substance was first used near the Belgian city of Ypres as a chemical warfare agent during the First World War. It is capable of depositing on surrounding objects and poisoning through contact, and therefore was considered useful for creating “forbidden zones”...

DDT. An insecticide that has been proven to harm wildlife, but has not yet been found to have any serious effects on humans.

Digitalis (digitalis). The common foxglove produces a range of toxins with similar names: digitalin, digitalein, digitonin and digitoxin. All of them are poisonous, although some are used for medicinal purposes.

Dioxins. A class of organic substances containing chlorine. They appear to be somehow capable of influencing DNA and, in any case, have an effect on the offspring of those who have had direct contact with these substances. Dioxins are also formed as pollutants during combustion, for example in the case of underground combustion of peat.

Diethylene glycol. Typically used as one of the components of antifreeze, this substance was previously considered harmless, but alcohol dehydrogenase decomposes this solvent, so that poisonous oxalic acid is released. In case of diethylene glycol poisoning, the patient can be cured by giving him... alcohol!

Datura. Scientific name Datura stramonium, and among the people it is called both “stinking dope” and “devil’s trumpet”. The seeds, fruits and leaves of this plant contain high concentrations of atropine and scopolamine (hyoscine).

Yellow chrome. Also known as lead chromate. A toxic substance, but not so toxic that it cannot be used in doses sufficient to color food.

Indian berry. Latin name Cocculus indicus, used by thieves and murderers to deprive their victims of the ability to move (this drug gives complete motor paralysis). It was also used by unscrupulous English pub owners to ensure that the diluted beer still gave a certain stupefying feeling.

Calabar bean cm. Physostigma poisonous

Cantharides, or Spanish flies. This poison is believed to cause unbridled lust, but it is more accurately called dangerous toxin. It was obtained by keeping crushed, macerated (that is, soaked) beetles in chloroform. I wonder: what were they all thinking about - both those who made this product and those who took it internally?!

Oxygen. This gas is a poison for anaerobic bacteria, but it is so necessary for human life that the mechanism of action of a number of poisons is precisely to sharply impair the access of oxygen to the human body.

Colocynth or bitter gourd. It has been known since biblical times, when it was used as a rather radical medicine, but it could also lead to death.

Methyl ester of isocyanic acid. Intermediate product in the production of insecticides; in 1984, an accident in Bhopal (India) showed that this substance is both highly toxic and increases the corrosion of metals.

Carbon monoxide. Also known as carbon monoxide. Released during incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels and flammable substances. It is toxic because it binds to hemoglobin in the blood more strongly than oxygen, as a result of which the processes of transporting oxygen or carbon dioxide are blocked.

Arsenic. Both arsenic itself and all its compounds are poisonous. It is usually used in the form of oxides. It is used quite often in cosmetic formulations, and some people have even taken it “for the purpose of improving intestinal gases.” In the 19th century, it was easy to purchase in a pharmacy, and, apparently, in connection with this, the Marsh test was created at the same time - so that it could be easily detected.

Laudanum. Opium solution, which was popular in the 19th century as a medicine (and also as a so-called “recreational drug”); sometimes the tincture was also used for poisoning purposes.

Nerve gases. Different kinds poisons that have the same effect: by affecting the transmission of nerve impulses, these gases lead to paralysis of the victim.

Nicotine. This alkaloid is quite harmful even in the amount found in cigarette smoke, but it would also be fatal if it were ingested or if it got under the skin.

Organophosphates. A group of common insecticides that attack the nervous system of insects, blocking the transmission of nerve impulses.

Nerve agents cm. Organophosphorus compounds.

Penicillin. It is a deadly poison for bacteria, but not for people.

Lamellar mushrooms. These include the relatively harmless russula and the red fly agaric, a deadly poisonous mushroom.

PCB. Or polychlorinated biphenyls, substances that were once considered fairly harmless, but today attitudes towards them have changed greatly. This is due to the fact that they appear to accumulate in the food chain, and there is also evidence that they can cause damage to the fetus in the womb.

Ricin. A poison produced by the castor bean (the fruit of the castor plant).

"Roger". This is what workers at caustic soda production plants in England called a cloud of chlorine gas in the 19th century.

Rotenone. A garden pesticide derived from the root of Piscidia vermilion. (Piscidia etythrina). In the past, it was used to stun fish so that they could be caught almost with bare hands.

Mercury. A toxic heavy metal that is often used in industry. Mercury can also accumulate in fish and seafood and become hazardous to humans.

Lead. A toxic heavy metal, the salts of which are also very toxic. Lead breaks down disulfide bonds in proteins, changing their appearance and blocking their action.

Cardiac glycoside. Steroids that cause maximum damage to the heart and kidneys. Found in some plants, it appears to act as a repellent for herbivores.

Hydrocyanic acid cm. Cyanide.

Alcohol (ethyl alcohol). Or, as it is also commonly called, “alcohol,” that is, drinks containing ethyl alcohol or ethanol. It is a poison even in small doses, but it is one of those poisons that makes most people sick even before they are able to inject themselves with a lethal dose. True, inveterate drunkards can sometimes overcome this reaction and, as a result, die...

Ergot. Fungal disease herbs, which produces up to 20 different toxins.

Strychnine. Alkaloid obtained from ripened, dried seeds of the plant Strychnos fir vomica(chilibukha, or vomit nut). It was widely used as a rat repellent, but also as... a tonic! This substance can accumulate in the body, and it is believed that this is why the famous Australian horse Phar Lap died.

Antimony. A heavy metal that is toxic both in itself and in the form of various chemical compounds.

Thallium. Another heavy metal that, when exposed to humans, leads to a curious side effect - the victim's hair falls out. Therefore, its compounds are sometimes used for cosmetic hair removal. The toxic properties of thallium are such that they began to successfully use it as rat poison: it acts very slowly, so rats manage to eat a lethal dose before they feel the first symptoms of poisoning.

Tetrodoxin. Also known by the abbreviation TTX. This toxin is found in many living organisms. It is apparently produced by some single-celled organism, perhaps a bacterium, and is then passed along the food chain.

bitter gourd, cm. Colocynthus

Heavy metal. Member of a group of elements with similar chemical properties(this includes lead, arsenic, antimony, mercury and cadmium). They are all toxic, both in the form of metals and especially in the form of compounds. These metals typically accumulate in tissues and as they move up the food chain.

Carbon dioxide. Also known as carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide. It is more likely not a poison, but a suffocating agent: this gas kills without allowing the victim to inhale oxygen.

Physostigma is poisonous. In the fruit of a plant Physostigma venenosum, from the legume family, it contains a very strong poison - physostigmine. The lethal dose is apparently small - about a quarter of one bean, but in West Africa, where these beans were used, wanting to find out whether the person was telling the truth, the test was simple: eat half the bean and survive!

Phosgene. A mixture of chlorine and carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) that was used as a poisonous gas during the First World War. Phosgene caused so much fluid to accumulate in the lungs that its victims could not breathe, as if they had drowned...

Phosphorus. White phosphorus is a highly toxic substance that affects many human organs. It was used in rat poison, but apparently was hardly used against people.

Sodium fluoroacetate. Also known under the code “1080” - this poison is used when baiting baits to get rid of rabbits and foxes.

Chlorine. Deadly gas, which was used during the First World War. It causes aggressive corrosion, is toxic, and has a suffocating effect on people.

Cyanide. It is also hydrogen cyanide, or hydrocyanic acid. How detective writers adored this substance! True, this is indeed a deadly poison, since it blocks the mechanism in the blood for transmitting oxygen to cells. Sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are also extremely dangerous poisons.

Cyanide cacodile. Dimethylarsine cyanide, a substance that produces toxic fumes when exposed to air. As a result of the explosion of this substance, Robert Bunsen lost an eye. And in the years Crimean War it was proposed to use it for military purposes, but the prevailing opinion in the then British Ministry of Defense was that this was barbaric...

Cycad plants. Also: cycads. Primitive, palm-like plants in which the carpels are collected in cones - their seeds are poisonous.

From the book Theory of Culture author author unknown

GLOSSARY OF TERMS 1. The concepts of “culture”, “civilization” and concepts directly related to them Culture (from the Latin cultura - processing, cultivation, ennoblement and cultus - veneration) and civilization (from the Latin civis - citizen). There are many definitions culture and

From the book Civilizational crises in the context of Universal history [Synergetics – psychology – forecasting] author Nazaretyan Hakob Pogosovich

Glossary of terms Aberration – distortion. See also Retrospective aberration. Abiotic – originating from a nonliving (inert) substance. Abulia – lack of will; painfully weakened ability for goal setting and systematic effort to achieve a goal. Australopithecus

From the book Tsar's Money. Income and expenses of the House of Romanov author Zimin Igor Viktorovich

Dictionary Agraf (French agrafe) - decoration, buckle, fastener for fastening clothes. Cabochon (French caboche from Latin cabo - head) - a stone not faceted, but convexly polished on one or both sides. The oldest type of processing of jewelry stones. Kamer Frau - lady in charge of the restroom

From book back side Japan author Kulanov Alexander Evgenievich

From the book Watching the Japanese. Hidden rules of behavior author Kovalchuk Yulia Stanislavovna

From the book Called to Heal. African shaman healers author Campbell Susan

Glossary of terms Amadlozi - “ancestors” in Zulu. Bandzawi - in Siswati - ancient ancestor, whose language is no longer in use (has become “dead”), In a state of “possession” or in a trance, traditional healers can speak the Banzawi language. Donga - ravine,

From the book Etruscan Civilization by Thuillet Jean-Paul

From the book In the Church author Zhalpanova Liniza Zhuvanovna

Dictionary The Old Testament is the Christian name for the first part of the Bible. It includes Hebrew texts, called the Holy Scriptures in Christianity and Judaism. A denomination is a religious organization. The Gospel is the first four books of the New Testament, telling about

From the book Confession of a Father to His Son author Amonashvili Shalva Alexandrovich

FAMILY DICTIONARY Mother - having and manifesting Creation. Father - the image of the Creator. Child - the rebirth of a new being. Children - acting in Truth. Son - the Essence and Power of the Beginning. Hypostasis of the Creator. Daughter is the eyes of Tao (Tao is the secret of the Creator). Family is the power of human manifestation. Grandfather is acting in

From the book Therapeutic “slanders”: From the collection of A. A. Savelyev author Savelyev Anton Antonovich

Dictionary Belatyr stone - white latyr stone, a magical stone in spells, in which the described action is usually performed. tag - a pig's snout with a snout. Spindle - mind. spindle, device for yarn.wind fracture - colds,

From the book History of Ancient Greece in 11 cities by Cartledge Paul

Dictionary Acropolis – upper city, citadel. Agoge is a system of Spartan state education. Greek alphabet - borrowed from the Phoenicians with the addition of letters to indicate vowel sounds, probably from the 8th century. BC. Amphiktyony – collection

From the book Laws of Free Societies of Dagestan XVII–XIX centuries. author Khashaev H.-M.

Glossary of terms Abas (Persian, Abbasi) - a silver coin. Adat - a set of rules of customary law. Aksakal (lit., “white-bearded”) - an elder who was part of the village court. Alym - here is a type of fine levied for murder on the relatives of the killer. Amanat - property,

From the book Russians. History, culture, traditions author Manyshev Sergey Borisovich

From the book Game as a cultural phenomenon author Guzik M. A.

TERMINOLOGICAL GLOSSARY Agon (Greek competition) - the desire for competition, struggle, permeating all spheres public life ancient Greece. Acmeism (Greek akme - the highest degree of something, a blooming time) is a modernist movement in Russia that developed by 1913.

From the book Anthropology of Gender author Butovskaya Marina Lvovna

Vocabulary Allele is one of the possible structural states of a gene. Androgens are male sex hormones of vertebrates. Antagonistic sexual selection is a special type of selection, the essence of which is to favor genetic differences between male and female

From the book Power, Gender and Reproductive Success author Butovskaya Marina Lvovna

DICTIONARY OUTBRIDING - reproduction in which individuals avoid engaging in sexual contact with close relatives on the maternal side. AUTOSOMES - chromosomes are the same in men and women. WEISMAN principle - maximum reproductive success in males is always

Foods and drinks that are very familiar to us can turn out to be deadly. And the simplest objects contain poison. It turns out that the most powerful poisons are sometimes close to us, and we don’t even suspect it.
We present to your attention a list of the most known poisons which have been used to kill people throughout history.

1. Hemlock

Hemlock is a genus of highly toxic flowering plants native to Europe and South Africa. The ancient Greeks used it to kill their captives. For an adult, 100 mg is enough. infusion or about 8 hemlock leaves to cause death - your mind is awake, but your body does not respond and eventually the respiratory system stops. The most famous case of poisoning is considered to be one sentenced to death for atheism in 399 BC. e., the Greek philosopher Socrates, who received a very concentrated infusion of hemlock.

2. Fighter or Wolfsbane

Ninth place in the list of the most famous poisons is occupied by Borets - a genus of perennial poisonous plants growing in damp places along the banks of rivers in Europe, Asia and North America. The poison of this plant causes asphyxia, which leads to suffocation. Poisoning can occur even after touching the leaves without gloves, since the poison is absorbed very quickly and easily. According to legend, Emperor Claudius was poisoned by the poison of this plant. It was also used to lubricate bolts for the Chu Ko Nu crossbow, one of the unusual ancient types of weapons.

3. Belladonna or Belladonna

The name belladonna comes from the Italian word and translates as “ beautiful woman" In the old days, this plant was used for cosmetic purposes - Italian women dropped belladonna juice into their eyes, the pupils dilated, and the eyes acquired a special shine. The berries were also rubbed on the cheeks to give them a “natural” blush. It is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. All its parts are toxic and contain atropine, which can cause severe poisoning.

4. Dimethylmercury

Dimethylmercury is a colorless liquid and one of the most powerful neurotoxins. Hit 0.1 ml. this liquid on the skin is already fatal for humans. Interestingly, symptoms of poisoning begin to appear after several months, which is too late for effective treatment. In 1996, inorganic chemist Karen Wetterhahn was conducting experiments at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and spilled one drop of this liquid on her gloved hand - dimethylmercury was absorbed into the skin through the latex gloves. Symptoms appeared four months later, and Karen died ten months later.

5. Tetrodotoxin

Tetrodotoxin is found in two sea ​​creatures - blue-ringed octopus and in Fugu fish. The octopus is the most dangerous because it deliberately injects its venom, killing its prey within minutes. It has enough poison to kill 26 adults within minutes. The bites are often painless, so many people only realize they have been bitten when paralysis occurs. But fugu fish is only lethal when eaten. But if the fish is cooked correctly, it is harmless.

6. Polonium

Polonium is a radioactive poison and a slow killer. One gram of polonium vapor can kill about 1.5 million people in just a couple of months. The most famous case of poisoning allegedly with polonium-210 was that of Alexander Litvinenko. Polonium was found in his cup of tea - a dose 200 times the average lethal dose. He died three weeks later.

7. Mercury

Mercury is a relatively rare element that, when room temperature is a heavy silvery-white liquid. Only vapors and soluble mercury compounds are poisonous, causing severe poisoning. Metallic mercury does not have a noticeable effect on the body. Famous case death from mercury (allegedly) is the Austrian composer Amadeus Mozart.

8. Cyanide

Cyanide is a deadly poison that results in internal asphyxia. The lethal dose of cyanide for humans is 1.5 mg. per kilogram of body weight. Cyanide was usually sewn into the collars of the shirts of scouts and spies. In addition, the poison was used in gaseous form in Nazi Germany for mass murder in gas chambers during the Holocaust. It is a proven fact that Rasputin was poisoned with several lethal doses of cyanide, but he never died, but was drowned.

9. Botulinum toxin

Botulinum toxin is the most powerful poison known to science among organic toxins and substances in general. The poison causes severe toxic damage - botulism. Death occurs from hypoxia caused by impaired oxygen metabolism, asphyxia of the respiratory tract, paralysis of the respiratory muscles and cardiac muscle. And now scientists will not answer the question of what poison is the most powerful in the world. Some of the most strong poisons are toxins from botulism and tetanus. The source of botulism infection is homemade preparations.

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which is the causative agent of the most dangerous disease - botulism. This is the most powerful poison of organic nature and one of the strongest poisons in the world. In the last century, botulinum toxin was part of the arsenals of chemical weapons, but at the same time, active research was conducted regarding its use in medicine. And today a huge number of people who want to at least temporarily restore the smoothness of their skin are experiencing the influence of this terrible poison, which is part of the most popular medicinal product"Botox", which once again confirms the truth famous saying the great Paracelsus: “Everything is poison, everything is medicine; both are determined by the dose.”

10. Arsenic

Arsenic was recognized as the “king of poisons.” Arsenic poisoning causes symptoms similar to those of cholera (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea). Arsenic, like Belladonna (item 8), was used in ancient times by women to make their faces pale white. There is an assumption that Napoleon was poisoned on the island of St. Helena with arsenic compounds.

11. Methanol, or methyl alcohol

Is very dangerous poison. This is explained by the fact that it is easy to confuse it with ordinary wine alcohol, since they are indistinguishable in taste and smell. Fake alcoholic drinks sometimes made on the basis methyl alcohol, but without an examination it is impossible to determine the presence of methanol. Unfortunately, the consequences of consuming such drinks are irreversible; at best, a person becomes blind.

12. Snake venom

There are more than two and a half thousand species of reptiles, but only about 250 species are poisonous. The most famous - common vipers, cobras, rattlesnakes, black mambas, small snakes - sand frets. Poisonous snakes- unpleasant neighbors. People have long found out that snake venom is dangerous only when it enters the human bloodstream. And, since humanity has been dealing with snakes for many millennia, it is not surprising that it was while studying the effects of snake venom on the bodies of animals and people that the first antidote was created in 1895 - anti-snake serum. By the way, there is no universal antidote even in case of poisoning snake venom, for each type of snake, its own antitoxin is created - for the king cobra - one, for vipers - another, for rattlesnakes - a third.

13. Vi-Ex (VX)

VX, or, as it is also called, VI gas, belongs to the category of chemical warfare gases that have a nerve-paralytic effect. It was also born as a new pesticide, but soon the military began to use it for their own purposes. Symptoms of poisoning with this gas appear within 1 minute after inhalation or contact with the skin, and death occurs within 10-15 minutes.

14. Bacillus anthrax

Anthrax is a very serious, rapidly developing disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. There are several forms of anthrax. The most “harmless” one is the skin one. Even without treatment, the mortality rate from this form does not exceed 20%. The intestinal form kills about half of those sick, but the pulmonary form is almost certain death. Even with the help the latest techniques modern doctors manage to save no more than 5% of patients.

15. Sarin

Sarin was created by German scientists trying to synthesize a powerful pesticide. But this deadly poison, which causes a quick but very painful death, acquired its gloomy glory not in agricultural fields, but as chemical weapon. Sarin was produced by the ton for military purposes for decades, and it was only in 1993 that its production was banned. But despite calls for the complete destruction of all stocks of this substance, both terrorists and the military still use it in our time.

16. Amatoxins

Amatoxins are a whole group of protein poisons contained in poisonous mushrooms of the amanita family, including the deadly toadstool. The particular danger of these poisons lies in their “slowness”. Once they enter the human body, they immediately begin their destructive activity, but the victim begins to feel the first discomfort no earlier than 10 hours later, and sometimes several days later, when it is already very difficult for doctors to do anything. Even if such a patient can be saved, he will still suffer for the rest of his life from painful dysfunctions of the liver, kidneys and lungs.

In summer and autumn, the time comes for seasonal mushroom poisoning - by the way, these are the most accessible poisonous substances today. The most famous poisonous mushrooms- false honey mushrooms, death cap, lines and fly agarics. The most poisoned mushroom is the toadstool, since it has many varieties, sometimes indistinguishable from edible mushrooms, and one such mushroom can lead to the death of several people. False mushrooms are the most common poisonous mushrooms. Although the Germans have learned to prepare fly agarics in such a way that they are not poisoned by them, it is true that it takes them a lot of time to prepare these mushrooms - they boil them for days. True, the question arises - why do they need fly agaric mushrooms when you can just take other mushrooms for food? And of course, we must remember the rules for storing cooked mushrooms, even edible mushrooms may become toxic if stored beyond their expiration date.

17. Strychnine

Strychnine in large quantities found in the nuts of the tropical chilibuha tree. It was from them that it was obtained in 1818 by the French chemists Pelletier and Cavantou. In small doses, strychnine can be used as a medicine that increases metabolic processes, improves heart function and treats paralysis. It was even actively used as an antidote for barbiturate poisoning. However, it is one of the most powerful poisons. His lethal dose even less than the famous potassium cyanide, but it acts much more slowly. Death from strychnine poisoning occurs after about half an hour of terrible agony and severe convulsions.

18. Potatoes and grains

Regular potatoes or bread can also be poisonous. If potatoes are stored improperly, the substance solanine accumulates, causing poisoning of the body. And bread becomes poisonous if flour was used to make it and contained cereals contaminated with ergot. We are not talking about fatal poisoning, but it is quite possible to ruin your health with such products. An ear affected by ergot. In addition, there are many household chemicals and fertilizers that can also cause poisoning. For example, potassium chloride is the most common fertilizer, but if it gets into the bloodstream it becomes deadly, since potassium ions block the activity of the heart.

19. Curare

The most famous poison B South America the most famous poison is curare, a poison of plant origin; there are several subtypes of this poison. It causes paralysis of the respiratory system. Initially it was used for hunting animals, but in the 20th century it was successfully used in medicine. Curare is the most famous poison among the Indians.

20. Batrachotoxin

From natural poisons Batrachotoxin is very dangerous, it is secreted by the skin of small but dangerous amphibians - dart frogs, fortunately, they can only be found in Colombia. One such frog contains so much toxic substance that it is enough to destroy several elephants. There is no need for a poison frog to hide. In addition, there are radioactive poisons, such as polonium. It acts slowly, but only 1 gram of this substance is needed to destroy one and a half million people. Snake venom, curare, potassium cyanide - they are all inferior to the above poisons. It's not just snakes that are poisonous. The most poisonous creature on Earth is the jellyfish.

21. Ricin

Ricin is an extremely powerful poison of plant origin. The greatest danger is inhaling its smallest grains. Ricin is about 6 times more powerful a poison than potassium cyanide, but it has not been used as a weapon of mass destruction due to purely technical difficulties. But various intelligence services and terrorists are very fond of this substance. Politicians and public figures with enviable regularity they receive letters stuffed with ricin. True, it rarely comes to this fatal outcome, since the penetration of ricin through the lungs is quite low. For a 100% result, ricin must be injected directly into the blood.

The most famous poisoners

The story of the Italian Borgia dynasty of poisoners, who elevated poisoning almost to the level of art, is unique. Everyone without exception was afraid of their invitation to the feast. The most famous representatives of this family for their treachery are Pope Alexander VI Borgia and his children: son Cesare, who became a cardinal, and daughter Lucrezia. This family had their own poison, "cantarella", supposedly containing arsenic, phosphorus and copper salts. It is known that the head of the family himself ultimately paid with his life for his treachery, having mistakenly drunk a cup of poison that he had prepared for another. Secret rings became the weapon of poisoners in the Middle Ages. In France, arsenic was used by women, the most famous of them was Catherine de Medici, who became Queen of France. There were also poisoners of lower rank - favorites of kings, marquises, baronesses and wives of jewelers. It is believed that Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic.