Available poison for humans. The most dangerous toxic substances

There are a lot of poisons in the world, some of them last a long time, others cause instant poisoning. When exposed to the body, each toxic substance causes specific symptoms, the most common of which should be known to every person.

Plant and chemical poisons very dangerous not only for health, but also for life. Today there are hundreds of species potent substances, some of which are not used since good intentions- genocide, terrorism, etc. However, our ancestors treated many ailments even with the help of the most powerful poison. One way or another, experts are still actively studying this issue.

The toxicity of toxic substances from the group is caused by an immediate effect on the respiratory properties of cells, which aggravates its work. Cell work stops internal organs begin to collapse. This leads a person to a very serious condition, often ending in death. Essentially, cyanide is a derivative of hydrocyanic acid.

It looks like a snow-white powder of small crystals. It dissolves quickly in water and is very unstable. A similar poison, in addition to laboratory methods, can be extracted from some plants (fruit seeds, almonds, etc.). However, poisoning is caused by a significant accumulation of the substance in the body.

Potassium cyanide is often used in industry:

• production of paper, plastics and some types of fabrics;
• in reagents for developing photographs;
• in the metal industry, cyanide is used to clean metal alloys from impurities;
• in granaries, products based on it protect products from rodents.

It is a fast-acting poison that can paralyze in minutes. The lethal dosage is only 0.1 mg/l. The person dies within one hour. First he loses consciousness, then his breathing and heart stop. That's why he is considered the most quick poison for a person.

Anthrax spores

This chemical compound very provoking dangerous infection which often ends in death. People who interact with farm animals are most susceptible to the disease. The spores are highly persistent and can be stored in the soil for a long time, which is why they are among the most dangerous poisons.

This terrible disease has been killing people for centuries. Only in the nineteenth century did the scientist Louis Pasteur manage to make a vaccine. The specialist studied the resistance of animals to the effects of poisons by introducing a weakened strain of the virus into their bodies. Several years ago, American scientists developed a more effective vaccine.

Controversy anthrax thrive in the secretions of an infected individual, entering the soil and water through them. This is how they spread over vast distances. In African countries, blood-sucking insects can become carriers of poison. Incubation period lasts from several hours to a week. The poison damages blood vessels, leading to swelling, loss of sensitivity and inflammation. On skin boils form and develop into carbuncles. After some time, other very unpleasant signs may appear, ranging from diarrhea. Often the patient will die.

Sarin danger

Many Russians are familiar with this substance from school desks and life safety lessons. It is known that this is one of the most strong poisons in the world. Since the end of the last century, it began to be used to create WMD (weapons mass destruction). Sarin was discovered by one of the German chemical companies. At first, the substance was used only by the military.

Sarin is a fast-evaporating, odorless liquid. Therefore, patients begin to think about poisoning only after symptoms appear.

Intoxication is possible in several ways:

• when poison enters the oral cavity;
• through contact with the skin;
• through inhalation of fumes (gas).

Organic poison damages nerve endings, preventing proteins from having any opportunity to support their work. The mild stage of poisoning is accompanied by general weakness and shortness of breath. Average - the pupils narrow, the head begins to hurt, tearfulness, nausea, trembling in the arms and legs appear.

If a person is not given first aid, then death is inevitable. The severe stage has similar symptoms, but they are more pronounced. Vomiting appears, involuntary release of urine and feces, and the headache intensifies. A few minutes later the person loses consciousness and quickly dies.

Amatoxin is a strong natural poison

This is the strongest of the entire list natural poisons on planet Earth. Experts have proven that amatoxin is much more dangerous than any snake venom. It is found in pale toadstools. Once in the human body, the toxin affects the liver and kidneys, after which all cells die.

Amatoxin is extremely insidious: manifestations are observed only after ten to twelve hours. In this case, it is already too late to rinse the stomach, so you must definitely call a medical team. In the first stages, the patient may be helped by Cephalosporin or activated charcoal. The most severe cases of poisoning with this biological poison require a liver transplant.

Strychnine and its areas of application

This is a plant toxin that is often used to poison mice, rats and other rodent pests. It is obtained in laboratory conditions from chilibuha seeds ( African plant). Such poison is often mentioned in detective stories, where characters die from it.

Used in the creation of certain drugs that are prescribed in exceptional cases. Indications for the use of such drugs are neurological diseases, impotence, loss of appetite, alcoholism, etc.

Liquid metal - mercury

This substance is mentioned in treatises dating back to 400 BC. But archaeologists also talk about more ancient traces. Mercury is often used in industry, art, medicine and other fields. Mercury vapor is very toxic. Intoxication can be either cumulative or immediate. First, the central nervous system is affected, and then other systems and organs.

The first signs of poisoning are trembling of the eyelids and fingers. After some time, stomach problems, vomiting, worsening sleep and memory appear. If mercury vapor poisoning occurs, then at first damage to the respiratory system is observed. Untimely or incorrect medical care can lead to death.

People often encounter this liquid metal from a thermometer when it breaks. However, not everyone knows what to do in such a situation. First you need to collect all the mercury balls and fragments. This should be done wearing protective rubber gloves. The remains of the thermometer should be placed in an airtight container.

After all this, the room must be thoroughly treated with a strong concentration of potassium permanganate solution, and all existing surfaces must be wiped with a rag. After a day, the room needs to be thoroughly ventilated.

There are many poisons of various natures in the world. Some of them act almost instantly, others can torment the victim of poisoning for years, slowly destroying him from the inside. True, the concept of poison has no clear boundaries. It all depends on concentration. And often the same substance can act both as a deadly poison and as one of the most necessary components for maintaining life. A striking example Vitamins are such a duality - even a slight excess of their concentration can completely destroy health or kill on the spot.

Here we propose to take a look at 10 substances that are classified as pure poisons, and are among the most dangerous and fast-acting.

Cyanide

Cyanides are called quite large group hydrocyanic acid salts. They are all, like the acid itself, extremely poisonous. In the last century, both hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride were used as chemical warfare agents and were responsible for tens of thousands of deaths.
Potassium cyanide is also famous for its extreme toxicity. Just 200-300 mg of this white powder, resembling in appearance granulated sugar, enough to kill an adult in just a few seconds. Thanks to such a small dosage and incredibly quick death, this poison was chosen to kill Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering and other Nazis.
They tried to poison Grigory Rasputin with this poison. True, the senders mixed cyanide into sweet wine and cakes, not knowing that sugar is one of the most powerful antidotes for this poison. So in the end they had to use the gun.

Anthrax bacillus

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.

Sarin

Sarin was created by German scientists trying to synthesize a powerful pesticide. But this dark glory deadly poison, which causes quick but very painful death, was acquired not in agricultural fields, but as a 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.

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.

Strychnine

Strychnine in large quantities found in nuts tropical tree chilibuha. 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. Its lethal dose is 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.

Mercury

Mercury is extremely dangerous in all its manifestations, but its vapors and soluble compounds cause especially great harm. Even small amounts of mercury entering the body cause severe damage nervous system, liver, kidneys and the entire gastrointestinal tract.

When small amounts of mercury enter the body, the process of poisoning occurs gradually, but inevitably, since this poison is not eliminated, but rather accumulates. In ancient times, mercury was widely used for the production of mirrors, as well as felt for hats. Chronic poisoning with mercury vapor, expressed in behavioral disorders up to complete insanity, was at that time called “the old hatter’s disease.”

Tetrodotoxin

This extremely strong poison is found in the liver, milk and caviar of the famous puffer fish, as well as in the skin and caviar of some species of tropical frogs, octopuses, crabs and in the caviar of the Californian newt. Europeans first became acquainted with the effects of this poison in 1774, when the crew on James Cook's ship ate an unknown tropical fish, and the slops from dinner were given to the ship's pigs. By morning, all the people were seriously ill, and the pigs died.
Tetrodotoxin poisoning is very serious, and even today doctors manage to save less than half of all those poisoned.

It is interesting to note that the famous Japanese delicacy fugu fish is prepared from fish that contains the most dangerous toxin exceeds lethal doses for humans. Lovers of this treat literally entrust their lives to the art of the cook. But no matter how hard the chefs try, accidents cannot be avoided, and every year several gourmets die after feasting on a delicious dish.

Ricin

Ricin is an extremely powerful poison 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, the case quite rarely ends in death, since the penetration of ricin through the lungs is quite low in efficiency. For a 100% result, it is necessary to inject ricin directly into the blood.

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 skin, and death occurs within 10-15 minutes.

Botulism toxin

Botulinum toxin is produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which are the causative agents 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 included in the arsenals chemical weapons, but at the same time active research was carried out 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 the most 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.”

The average lethal dose, DL50 (lat. dosis letalis), causes the death of half of the experimental animals (DL100 is the dose minimally sufficient to kill everyone who received it). DL is measured in milligrams of a substance per 1 kg of animal body weight (mg/kg); in our rating it is indicated in parentheses after the name of the substance. So, the top 10 most toxic poisons with DL50 - for mice when administered intramuscularly.

Neurotoxin II (0.085 mg/kg)

Source: component of the venom of the Central Asian cobra (Naja oxiana).

The venom of this snake is extremely strong. When bitten, it has a neurotoxic effect. After the bite, the victim becomes lethargic, but soon the body begins to be shaken by convulsions, breathing quickens, and becomes shallow. Death occurs after some time due to paralysis of the respiratory tract. Local manifestations (hematomas, tumors) do not occur with the bite of a Central Asian cobra.

The Central Asian cobra, which reaches a length of 1.5–1.6 m, is distributed in northwestern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and northeastern Iran. IN Central Asia this snake is found in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Northern border area - the Nura-Tau ridge and the Bel-Tau-Ata mountains, the western - the spurs of the Turkestan ridge.

Alpha-latrotoxin (0.045 mg/kg)

Source: contained in the venom of 31 species of spiders of the genus Latrodectus (karakurts).

At the moment of a bite, an immediate burning pain is most often felt (in some sources, the bite is painless), which spreads throughout the body within 15–30 minutes. Typically, patients complain of unbearable pain in the abdomen, lower back, and chest. Characterized by sharp tension in the abdominal muscles. Shortness of breath, palpitations, increased heart rate, dizziness, headache, tremor, vomiting, pallor or flushing of the face, sweating, a feeling of heaviness in the chest and epigastric areas, exophthalmos and dilated pupils. The face takes on a bluish tint.

Known deaths in humans and farm animals. After 3–5 days, the skin becomes covered with a rash, and the victim’s condition improves somewhat. Recovery begins after 2–3 weeks, but long time the person feels general weakness.

Karakurts (“black widows”) live in tropical, subtropical and even temperate latitudes on all continents except Antarctica. Only females pose a danger to humans (their body size is up to 2 cm). Males are much smaller (0.5 cm) and are not able to bite through human skin. The toxicity of the poison has a pronounced seasonal dependence: the September one is about ten times more powerful than the May one.

Antidote: antikarakurt serum.

Alpha-conotoxin (0.012 mg/kg)

Source: component of the complex venom of the mollusk Conus geographus (geographic cone).

Cones are very active when touched in their habitat. Their toxic apparatus consists of a poisonous gland located at the wide end of the shell, with sharp spines that replace the mollusk’s teeth. If you take the shell in your hands, the mollusk instantly extends the radula and thrusts spines into the body. The injection is accompanied by acute pain leading to loss of consciousness, numbness of the fingers, strong heartbeat, shortness of breath, and sometimes paralysis. On the islands Pacific Ocean Cases of death of shell collectors from cone stings have been recorded.

The cone shells are 15–20 cm long. Habitat is the eastern and northern coasts of Australia, east coast Southeast Asia and China and Central Pacific region.

Antidote: There is no antidote. The only measure is copious bloodletting from the injection site.

Chiriquitotoxin (0.01 mg/kg)

Source: Produced by the skin of the toad Atelopus chiriquiensis.

Causes impaired coordination of movements, convulsions, incomplete paralysis of the limbs.

Small (males - about 3 cm, females - 3.5–5 cm) toads with beautiful name Chiriquitas are found on the isthmus between North and South America - in Panama and Costa Rica. The species is endangered. The toxin is produced by the skin of the chirikit, and the toxicity, we recall, was assessed when administered intramuscularly.

Tityutoxin (0.009 mg/kg)

Source: one of the components of the venom of the yellow fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus australis).

The venom of the yellow fat-tailed scorpion is produced in two enlarged glands located immediately behind the sting, which looks like a barb at the end of the tail. They are what give Scorpios the “fat” appearance. It also differs from other scorpions in the color of its sting - from dark brown to black. The venom of the fat-tailed scorpion is so toxic that it can kill even an adult. Mainly eats small insects, such as locusts or beetles, but easily deals with a small lizard or mouse.

This type of scorpion is associated with up to 80% of all serious poisonings and up to 95% of deaths from scorpion injections. Androctonus australis are medium-sized scorpions up to 10 cm long. They have no relation to Australia: australis in Latin means “southern”, and androctonus in Greek means “murderer”. Found in the Middle East, north and southeast Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Iraq, Iran, etc.).

Antidote: anti-toxic serum "Antiscorpion". Antikarakurt serum can be used as a slightly less effective replacement.

Tetrodotoxin (0.008 mg/kg)

Source: produced and accumulated in the tissues of fish of the Tetraodontidae family, the mollusk BabyIonia japonica and a close relative of the chirikit, the toad Atelopus varius.

Some species of the Tetraodontidae family (four-toothed, also known as rock-toothed, dogfish and pufferfish) reach a length of up to half a meter. Both these fish and the dish made from them are called “fugu” in Japan. The poison is contained in the liver, milk, caviar, intestines and skin, so only specially trained chefs are allowed to prepare fugu, who remove the poisonous organs using a separate method for each type. If pufferfish meat is prepared by ignorant amateurs, then in 60 cases out of 100, trying such a dish leads to death. And such cases are still not uncommon. According to a Japanese proverb, “he who eats fugu is a fool, but he who does not eat is also a fool.”

The habitat of puffer fish is from the northern coast of Australia to the northern coast of Japan and from the southern coast of China to the eastern islands of Oceania.

Tetraodontidae (puffer fish):

The mollusk Babylonia japonica has a very beautiful sink classic spiral shape, 40–85 mm long. Habitat - the coast of the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and Japan:

Toads Atelopus varius (Atelop variegated) are small, 2.5–4 cm, and if you are “lucky” you can stumble upon them only in the jungles of Panama and Costa Rica:

This is a dangerous poison that, once in digestive tract, causes severe pain, convulsions and usually leads to death.

Antidote: there is no specific antidote; detoxification and symptomatic therapy is carried out.

Poisons have been used from ancient times to the present day as weapons, antidotes, and even medicine.

In fact, poisons are all around us, in drinking water, in everyday objects and even our blood.

The word "poison" is used to describe any substance that can cause a dangerous disorder in the body.

Even in small quantity, the poison can lead to poisoning and death.

Here are some examples of some of the most insidious poisons that can be fatal to humans.

Many poisons can be lethal in small doses, so it is quite difficult to single out the most dangerous one. However, many experts agree that botulinum toxin, which is used in Botox injections to smooth out wrinkles is the strongest.

Botulism is a serious disease leading to paralysis, caused by botulinum toxin, which is produced by bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This poison causes damage to the nervous system, respiratory arrest and death in terrible agony.

Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, double vision, facial weakness, speech impediments, difficulty swallowing and others. The bacterium can enter the body through food (usually bad canned food) and through open wounds.

2. Poison ricin

Ricin is natural poison obtained from castor beans castor bean plants. A few grains are enough to kill an adult. Ricin kills cells in the human body, preventing it from producing the proteins it needs, resulting in organ failure. A person can become poisoned by ricin through inhalation or ingestion.

If inhaled, symptoms of poisoning usually appear within 8 hours of exposure and include difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea, sweating and chest tightness.

If ingested, symptoms appear in less than 6 hours and include nausea and diarrhea (possibly bloody), low blood pressure, hallucinations and seizures. Death may occur within 36-72 hours.

3. Sarin gas

Sarin is one of the the most dangerous and deadly nerve gases, which is hundreds of times more toxic than cyanide. Sarin was originally produced as a pesticide, but the clear, odorless gas soon became a powerful chemical weapon.

A person can be poisoned by sarin gas by inhaling or exposing the gas to the eyes and skin. Initially, symptoms may appear such as runny nose and chest tightness, difficulty breathing and nausea.

Then the person loses control over all functions of his body and falls into a coma, convulsions and spasms occur until suffocation occurs.

4. Tetrodotoxin

This deadly poison found in the organs of fish of the genus pufferfish, from which the famous Japanese delicacy "fugu" is prepared. Tetrodotoxin persists in the skin, liver, intestines and other organs, even after the fish has been cooked.

This toxin causes paralysis, convulsions, mental disorder and other symptoms. Death occurs within 6 hours after ingestion of the poison.

Every year, several people are known to die painful deaths from tetrodotoxin poisoning after eating fugu.

5. Potassium cyanide

Potassium cyanide is one of the the fastest deadly poisons , known to mankind. It may be in the form of crystals and colorless gas with a bitter almond odor. Cyanide can be found in some foods and plants. It is found in cigarettes and is used to make plastic, photographs, extract gold from ore, and kill unwanted insects.

Cyanide has been used since ancient times, and in modern world it was a method of capital punishment. Poisoning can occur through inhalation, ingestion and even touching, causing symptoms such as seizures, respiratory failure and in severe cases death, which may occur in a few minutes. It kills by binding to iron in blood cells, making them unable to carry oxygen.

6. Mercury and mercury poisoning

There are three forms of mercury that can be potentially hazardous: elemental, inorganic and organic. Elemental mercury, which contained in mercury thermometers , old fillings and fluorescent lamps, non-toxic on contact, but may be fatal if inhaled.

Inhalation of mercury vapor (the metal quickly turns into gas when room temperature) affects the lungs and brain, turning off the central nervous system.

Inorganic mercury, which is used to make batteries, can be fatal if ingested and cause kidney damage and other symptoms. Organic mercury found in fish and seafood is usually hazardous over long-term exposure. Symptoms of poisoning may include memory loss, blindness, seizures and others.

7. Strychnine and strychnine poisoning

Strychnine is an odorless, white, bitter crystalline powder that can be acquired by ingestion, inhalation, solution, and intravenous injection.

They receive it from the seeds of the chilibuha tree(Strychnos nux-vomica), native to India and southeast Asia. Although it is often used as a pesticide, it can also be found in narcotic substances such as heroin and cocaine.

The degree of strychnine poisoning depends on the amounts and route of entry into the body, but to cause serious condition, a small amount of this poison is enough. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle spasms, respiratory failure and even lead to brain death 30 minutes after exposure.

8. Arsenic and arsenic poisoning

Arsenic, which is the 33rd element in the periodic table, has been synonymous with poison since ancient times. It was often used as a poison of choice in political assassinations, as Arsenic poisoning resembled cholera symptoms.

Arsenic is considered a heavy metal with properties similar to those of lead and mercury. In high concentrations it can lead to symptoms of poisoning such as abdominal pain, seizures, coma and death. In small amounts, it can contribute to a number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

9. Poison curare

Curare is a mixture of various South American plants that were used for poison arrows. Curare has been used for medicinal purposes in a highly diluted form. The main poison is an alkaloid, which causes paralysis and death, as well as strychnine and hemlock. However, after paralysis occurs respiratory system, the heart can continue to beat.

Death from curare is slow and painful, as the victim remains conscious but cannot move or speak. However, if artificial respiration is applied before the poison settles, the person can be saved. Amazon tribes used curare to hunt animals, but the poisoned animal meat was not dangerous to those who consumed it.

10. Batrachotoxin

Fortunately, the chances of encountering this poison are very small. Batrachotoxin, found in the skin of tiny dart frogs, is one of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world.

Frogs themselves do not produce poison; it is accumulated from the foods they consume, mainly small bugs. The most dangerous poison content was found in a species of frogs terrible leaf climber , living in Colombia.

One specimen contains enough batrachotoxin to kill two dozen people or several elephants. I affects nerves, especially around the heart, makes breathing difficult and quickly leads to death.

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.

Dangerous poisons

- Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is a 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.

Mercury. Everyone at home has the most common item - mercury thermometer. It turns out that if you spill mercury from two or three thermometers in a medium-sized room, this will be enough to cause serious poisoning. True, elemental mercury itself is not dangerous, its vapors are dangerous, and it begins to evaporate already at room temperature. In addition to thermometers, the same type of mercury is found in fluorescent lamps. So be careful with them.

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 ephs.

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 species of snakes its own antitoxin is created - for king cobra- one, for vipers - another, for rattlesnakes - a third.

The fastest poison

There are many poisons, but potassium cyanide is still considered one of the fastest-acting. It has been used since ancient times, it is probably the most famous "spy" poison: many agents in films and books use cyanide in ampoules or tablets. And everyone probably read about such a sign as the smell of “bitter almonds” in Agatha Christie’s wonderful detective stories.

You can be poisoned by cyanide not only by ingestion, but also by inhalation or touching. Potassium cyanide is found in some plants and foods, as well as cigarettes. It is used in the extraction of gold from ore. Cyanide kills by binding iron in blood cells, thereby preventing them from delivering oxygen to vital organs.

Cyanide can be determined using a solution of ferric salts

By the way, they tried to poison Grigory Rasputin with potassium cyanide, but they couldn’t, because they added the poison to a sweet pie. Glucose is an antidote to potassium cyanide.

The most accessible poisons

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 are false honey mushrooms, pale grebe, 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.

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 agarics when they can simply 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.

Regular potatoes or bread can also be poisonous. When stored improperly, potatoes accumulate the substance solanine, which causes poisoning to the body. And bread becomes poisonous if flour was used to make it and contained cereals contaminated with ergot. We are not talking about poisoning from fatal, but it is quite possible to ruin your health with such products.

In addition, there are many household chemicals and fertilizers, which can also cause poisoning. For example, potassium chloride is the most common fertilizer, but if it gets into the blood it becomes deadly, since potassium ions block the activity of the heart.

The most famous poison

IN 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.

There is also strychnine powder white, which is sometimes used in some drugs (such as heroin and cocaine). Although it is much more often used in the manufacture of pesticides. To obtain this powder, take the seeds of the chilibuha tree, whose homeland is Southeast Asia and India.

But the most famous poison is, of course, arsenic; it can be called the “royal poison”. It has been used since ancient times (its use is also attributed to Caligula) to eliminate their enemies and competitors in the struggle for the throne, no matter the papal or royal one. It was the favorite poison of European nobility in the Middle Ages.

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.

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.

The most powerful poison in the world

And now scientists will not answer the question of what poison is the most powerful in the world. Some of the most powerful poisons are botulism and tetanus toxins.

Among 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.

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. As the editors of the site found out, the most poisonous creature on Earth is the jellyfish.
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