The most powerful poison: period of action and consequences. The most powerful poison Lethal substances for humans in everyday life
Rats and mice are eternal companions of humans. To combat them, it is best to use biological methods: catching or scaring away, keeping cats and other rat-catching animals in the house. However, with a large population, the use of more radical means is required, namely rat poisons. Their use must be carried out in compliance with safety precautions, despite the fact that human poisoning with rat poison does not happen so often.
A person who is not involved in the production of drugs and baits for rodents is much more likely to become a victim of foodborne illness in the nearest eatery. And yet there are cases of poisons entering the body to kill rodents. How does this happen, what is the lethal dose and what to do in such situations? Let's figure it out.
When is it possible for a person to be poisoned by rat poison?
In Russia, no fatal cases of poisoning with rodent baits have been recorded over the past decades. According to press reports, group poisonings of children occurred in 2007 and 2011. In all cases, the children received timely medical care, and the young patients fully recovered. Thus, in 2007, 15 children aged 3–4 years old were poisoned in Vladimir. Left unattended, they ate peas containing rat poison. In 2011, group poisoning of schoolchildren aged 6–11 years was recorded in the Tyumen region. The children also ate pickled seeds. There are reports of children biting off or swallowing rodent repellent pills in front of their parents.
Can a person die from rat poison? In China, in 2002–2011, cases of intentional poisoning with rat poison, which is prohibited for sale, were recorded repeatedly. The attackers slipped it into the food. There are also known cases of poisoning from eating shish kebab (presumably from the meat of dead rats and foxes). In some cases, death occurred in about 10% of the number of people affected.
The degree of damage to the body and the possibility of death primarily depends on what substance is contained in the bait.
Types of rat poison and its effect on the human body
Rat poison is called a “rodenticide” - it is a means of killing rodents. It belongs to the group of pesticides and is widely used in agriculture and in everyday life. There are several types of rodenticides that differ in the effect of rat poison on animals, including humans.
When rat poison is ingested, the lethal dose for humans will depend on the active substance and the state of health, primarily the liver. It is the liver that synthesizes the factors necessary for normal blood clotting. And anticoagulant poisons destroy these substances. For Warfarin, the lethal dose (LD50) is 60 mg/kg body weight, and for Bromadiolone – 300 mg/kg.
It is difficult to accidentally ingest large amounts of rat poison. To obtain a lethal dose, repeated exposure of anticoagulants to the body will be required. Rats must eat the bait for a week to die. In addition, the finished form of rat poison usually contains from 0.1 to 2% of the active substance. To prepare the bait, the drug is mixed with grain, minced meat or other food attractive to rodents. Rat poison, which includes zoocoumarins, in a ready-to-use mixture contains approximately 2–3% of the drug, which in terms of pure poison is an average of 0.02%. Thus, if an adult needs to eat 3-4 grams of pure poison to die, then in terms of the commercial form this will be about 150 grams. Soft briquettes - anti-rat tablets, so popular today, contain 0.005% poison. Even a child needs to swallow a fairly large piece to become seriously poisoned.
It should be noted that some rat poisons can be absorbed through the skin. Those working on bait preparation should take precautions.
Symptoms of rat poisoning in humans
When a person is poisoned with rat poison, symptoms do not develop immediately, but 3-4 days after the poison enters the body. The disease is characterized by a chronic course. In rare cases, due to taking a large dose of a potent drug, it is possible that signs of a bleeding disorder may develop after 12–24 hours.
The victims noted:
- weakness;
- nausea, loss of appetite;
- headache;
- pallor;
- the appearance of bleeding gums, hemorrhages on the mucous membranes;
- Less commonly, symptoms of rat poison poisoning in humans include diarrhea, blood in the feces, nosebleeds, abdominal pain, and the appearance of bloody spots on the body.
First aid for human poisoning with rat poison
If poison accidentally enters the stomach, you must:
If rat poison gets on human skin, wash it off with warm water and soap; on the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth - rinse thoroughly with running water.
Depending on the dose the victim received and how rat poison affects humans, hospitalization may be necessary. Treatment in a hospital is based on the administration of an antidote - vitamin K1 (Phytomenadione) for 15-30 days and maintenance therapy: hepatoprotectors, forced diuresis. In severe cases, blood plasma transfusions may be required to quickly replenish clotting factors. Recovery is monitored by studying the prothrombin index - a laboratory indicator for assessing blood clotting.
Consequences of human poisoning with rat poison
If a person is poisoned by rat poison, the consequences can be long-term. Therefore, timely seeking medical help is mandatory. The doctor will conduct the necessary laboratory tests and prescribe treatment. Even with a mild degree of damage, long-term intake of vitamin K will be required. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the liver to restore normal blood clotting, and various manifestations of hemophilia syndrome are possible:
- bleeding gums;
- heavy bleeding from wound injuries;
- internal hemorrhages.
Let's summarize what to do if a person is poisoned by rat poison. If rat poison accidentally gets into the stomach, you must induce vomiting, drink a large amount of liquid and take activated charcoal. If the poisoning is chronic, there is no point in inducing vomiting and rinsing the stomach.
In all cases of poisoning, you should consult a doctor for medical treatment.
Omega is a highly toxic substance that is part of hemlock. Just 100 milligrams of it (8 leaves) will be enough to kill a person. How it works: all body systems gradually fail, except the brain. As a result, you, being in your right mind, begin to die slowly and painfully until you suffocate.
The most popular hemlock was among the Greeks. Interesting fact: this plant caused the death of Socrates in 399 BC. The Greeks executed him in this way for disrespect for the gods.
Source: wikipedia.org
No. 9 - Aconite
This poison is obtained from the fighter plant. It causes arrhythmia, which ends in suffocation. They say that even touching this plant without gloves can result in death. It is almost impossible to detect traces of poison in the body. The most famous case of use is that Emperor Claudius poisoned his wife Agrippina by adding aconite to her mushroom dish.
Source: wikipedia.org
#8 - Belladonna
In the Middle Ages, belladonna was used as a women's cosmetic (rouge for cheeks). Special drops were even obtained from the plant to dilate the pupils (at that time this was considered fashionable). You could also swallow belladonna leaves - one is just enough for a person to die. Berries are also not a miss: you only need to eat 10 of them to die. In those days, a special poisonous solution was made from the latter, which was used to lubricate arrowheads.
Source: wikipedia.org
#7 - Dimethylmercury
This is the slowest and most insidious killer. This is because even 0.1 milliliter that accidentally gets on your skin will be enough to be fatal. The most notorious case: in 1996, a chemistry teacher at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire dropped a drop of poison onto her hand. Dimethylmercury burned through a latex glove; symptoms of poisoning appeared after 4 months. And 10 months later the scientist died.
Source: wikipedia.org
#6 - Tetrodotoxin
This poison is found in blue-ringed octopuses and pufferfish. With the former, things are very bad: octopuses deliberately attack their prey with tetrodotoxin, imperceptibly pricking it with special needles. Death occurs within a few minutes, but symptoms do not appear immediately - after paralysis sets in. The venom of one blue-ringed octopus is enough to kill 26 healthy men.
It’s easier with fugu: their poison is only dangerous when you’re about to eat the fish. It all depends on the correct preparation: if the cook is not mistaken, the tetrodoxin will all evaporate. And you will eat the dish without any consequences, except for incredible adrenaline rushes...
Source: wikipedia.org
#5 - Polonium
Polonium is a radioactive poison for which there is no antidote. The substance is so dangerous that just 1 gram of it can kill 1.5 million people in a few months. The most sensational case of the use of polonium was the death of Alexander Litvinenko, an employee of the KGB-FSB. He died in 3 weeks, the reason was that 200 grams of poison were found in his body.
Source: wikipedia.org
#4 - Mercury
- elemental mercury - found in thermometers. Instant death occurs if it is inhaled;
- inorganic mercury - used in the manufacture of batteries. Lethal if swallowed;
- organic mercury. Sources are tuna and swordfish. It is recommended to eat no more than 170 grams per month. Otherwise, organic mercury will begin to accumulate in the body.
The most famous case of use is the poisoning of Amadeus Mozart. He was given mercury tablets to treat syphilis.
Below I will try to provide explanations for those who came to the topic of poisons and poisonings the hard way. If I don’t touch on something, or if you want to receive more detailed instructions and explanations, don’t hesitate to ask questions, we’ll sort everything out.
So...
1. Common sense. You shouldn't grab potassium cyanide, ricin or anything like that, just because these are the most deadly and effective poisons. These poisons are very difficult to obtain, therefore accidental poisoning is extremely unlikely. It is better to choose a less effective poison that will look more natural in this situation.
A BANAL EXAMPLE: if a person suffers from insomnia, then an overdose of sleeping pills mixed with alcohol looks much more natural than cyanide poisoning. Potassium cyanide does not promote deep and sound sleep, no?
2. Don't underestimate your opponent. The investigator is not at all the stupid and grotesque character that flashes on TV screens. Having the results of the examination in hand, he will understand perfectly well that the death was not accidental at all. Using the magical principle “Who benefits from this anyway?”, he has a great chance of getting on the trail of the poisoner.
3. Single poisoning - fight! You should not poison a person one-on-one if you are not 100% sure of the effectiveness of the poison and your alibi. The best time to use poison for its intended purpose is a feast. Witnesses!!sudden!! there must be a lot of death. There should be no witnesses to your involvement in this. A person who feels unwell during a feast is unlikely to immediately admit it - he will blame it all on alcohol and too fatty food. And he will lose precious minutes that could save his life.
4. Alcohol is a friend for all times! Even the most harmless substances are not friends with Mr. Ethanol. Poisons even more so. Many substances dissolve in alcohol, and alcohol itself dulls the senses - an ideal companion!
5. Don't be too clever. If the target is ordinary drunks, methanol will do a much better job than cyanide. If you have a heart disease, it’s easier to replace the medicine with a more effective one. If you are a drug addict, choose the substance so that it looks like an overdose.
*** For those who like to smoke, you can find options for going completely psychedelic. Optionally - with cruelty, in order to ensure the target a vacation in a madhouse through a berserk rage against a neighbor and her cute dog. For speed lovers, drive a heart into a board, which is not at all that difficult.
6. Preparation. You should not indulge in such matters without considering all the consequences. It is worth carefully thinking over an alibi for yourself: for example, if your wife decided to die, then you should tell everyone a month before this event how bad everything is, how your relationship is collapsing, perhaps you should make an appointment with a psychotherapist. All your words and actions are your alibi. This should not be neglected.
7. Is all this necessary... The responsibility always lies with you. Poisons may give a false sense of freedom and impunity, but this is not the case. You can be easily found and easily detained. Remember to be safe and ask if something is not clear. And remember:
You are responsible for what you do. Killing a granny/mother/wife for the sake of an inheritance or killing a pedophile maniac are completely different things. Use your power wisely.
Nicotine
Characteristics
Nicotine is a dark brown sticky/oily liquid. The lethal dose of pure nicotine is considered to be about 0.06 grams, but for the homemade version it is about 3-4 drops. Death from poisoning occurs within 12-24 hours.
1. Remove tobacco from ten cheaper cigarettes.
2. Grind the tobacco very well, then place it in a small beaker.
3. Pour in isopropyl alcohol (bourbonal can be used in a pinch).
4. Cover the beaker with aluminum foil.
5. Place the beaker in a Bunsen burner or electric fireplace and heat it carefully and gently. Don't let the alcohol get out of hand. If the alcohol is boiling, remove the beaker with tongs and return it back when the bubbles from boiling stop appearing. If you don't do this, the alcohol vapor will ignite! If this happens (the vapors ignite), you should remove the beaker, blow off the flame and continue heating the alcohol.
6. After one hour of heating, filter the contents of the beaker using filter paper. Discard any residue remaining on the filter paper.
7. Evaporate the resulting liquid in strong sunlight or by gently heating it. The remainder after the procedures remaining in the container will be nicotine.
With ten cigarettes you can get a dose for about 3 people.
1. The liquid was applied to the shaved back of the rabbit's neck (the rabbit could not lick the liquid). The rabbit immediately showed slower movements. After 11 o'clock the rabbit went berserk and died.
2. 2 ml was given orally to the rabbit. These were the same effects as above, but the rabbit died after 12 hours.
Nicotine is a good skin abuser and touching it is strictly prohibited. The best way to give it orally is in the form of strong coffee - 3-4 drops from a dropper will be enough.
According to some sources, the lethal dose is not 0.06 grams, but 0.5-1 grams.
Potato alkaloid
Characteristics
Green-gray liquid. Lethal dose: 0.06 g. Time to death: less than 2 minutes.
Preparation and Precautions
The preparation procedure is exactly the same as for nicotine except for the fact that the spuds on GREEN potato skins are used instead of tobacco.
Test results
1. 3 ml were given orally to a healthy rabbit. The rabbit immediately began to scream. Blood started coming out of his mouth. After 100 seconds the rabbit died.
2. The same dose was given to a small rabbit. After 7 seconds the rabbit died.
Notes
Cannot be used through the skin - only orally or by injection.
Ricin
Characteristics
Ricin (castor bean poison) appears as a white powder. Lethal dose of ricin: 0.035 g. Death occurs within a couple of minutes from oral administration and several hours from injection.
Manufacturing (only with medical gloves!)
Ricin is obtained from castor beans, the fruit of the plant Ricinus communis (Russian name for castor bean).
1. Take the skins of several castor beans and weigh the white part of the nuts.
2. Grind the beans and add 4 of their weight of acetone.
3. Leave the mixture in a plastic container for three days.
4. Filter the mixture. Dry the remainder. The resulting powder is ricin.
If the mixture is left in acetone for another three days, we obtain ricin in liquid form.
Test results
1 ml of liquid ricin was given orally to the rabbit. The rabbit has problems breathing. There was mucus coming from the mouth. After four hours the rabbit died.
2 ml of liquid ricin was given orally to the rabbit. After 2 minutes the rabbit died.
Notes
The liquid version is most convenient for mixing, especially into alcohol. The powder form may be difficult to dissolve, but can be used in food since ricin powder does not have a strong taste.
Cyanide
Buy yellow blood salt (yellow, not red, these are different substances, do not be confused!). Dehydrate with low heat on a baking sheet (no higher than 150 degrees) so that it turns white, but does not burn (if it turns black, it means it is overheated). Then mix 3 parts of dehydrated blood salt with 5 parts of potash, place in a hermetically sealed iron container and heat in a muffle furnace at 600-700 degrees for several hours. (can be left overnight). Turn off the heat and wait until it cools down.
Knock the resulting stone out of the container with a hammer. Its upper part will be pure cyanide, and its lower part will be potash, they are visually different. You break this stone into large pieces in a basin with a hammer, grind it into powder in a mortar and store it only in an airtight container.
A muffle furnace is a must. It needs to be heated for a long time and the temperature should not be exceeded.
Safety precautions: work in a ventilated area, do not eat cyanide with spoons or sprinkle it on yourself, wear gloves. After the synthesis, do not allow pets into the room for a few more days, since grains of cyanide that will fly far away when breaking the stone with a hammer will remain on the floor; this will be enough for them.
Poison is a toxin that can cause severe poisoning or even death. The effect on a person depends on the amount of poison, as well as its type. It can enter the body through the mouth, respiratory organs and skin. Symptoms of poisoning may appear immediately after contact or several hours later. First aid must be provided immediately after signs of intoxication appear.
Classification
The following types of poisons are distinguished:
- Local poisons, which include substances that act only upon direct contact. These are mercury, arsenic, alkalis and acids.
- Systemic poisons. After entering the body, they are sent through the blood to all organs. These are potassium cyanide, strychnine, hypnotics.
- Chemical poisons, which are classified as acids, alkalis, salts, gases. These are various organic and inorganic compounds.
Poisons can also be household poisons, that is, they are found in the immediate environment of a person. These are paints, herbicides, insecticides, rat poisons and other substances. Therefore, when using such products, you must take precautions - wear a mask on your face and rubber gloves on your hands.
The most dangerous poisons
There is a list of the most dangerous poisons in the world. Moreover, their danger lies in various reasons:
- Methyl alcohol. Such a substance, after entering the human body, causes intoxication. And if you drink it in large quantities, irreversible blindness or even death is possible. Therefore, at the first symptoms of poisoning, the patient must be given assistance and taken to the hospital. The danger of such poison is that its appearance, taste and smell are completely identical to ethyl alcohol, so they can be easily confused.
- Mercury. It is found in mercury thermometers. And if you break 2 thermometers in a room, then all the people in it will receive serious poisoning. The same substance is found in fluorescent lamps. Therefore, care must be taken when handling such items.
Mercury vapor is dangerous, and it begins to evaporate at room temperature. Therefore, if you break a thermometer or a lamp outdoors in winter, it’s not a big deal - the mercury balls can be collected and thrown away.
- Snake poison. Approximately 250 species of snakes are venomous. However, the antidote for each type of reptile must be separate. This is the danger - after the poison enters the blood, the antidote must be administered as soon as possible, otherwise death will occur within 20 minutes - 4 hours (depending on the type of snake).
- Potassium cyanide is the fastest-acting poison in the world. Moreover, you can be poisoned by it either by touching it or by inhaling it or if it gets in through the mouth. Under its influence, iron binds in blood cells, as a result of which the supply of oxygen to vital organs stops. Death occurs within a few minutes. The substance has the smell of bitter almonds. Neutralized by glucose, so ineffective in sweet environments.
Available poisons
Fly agarics can also be edible if prepared correctly. They need to be boiled for 24 hours, draining the water as often as possible. But it’s better not to risk it and eat honey mushrooms, russula, boletus and other edible mushrooms.
Potatoes can also contain dangerous poisons for the human body. If potatoes are stored incorrectly (when the root crop is exposed to sunlight), solanine is formed in it. This substance causes severe intoxication in humans. It is not difficult to identify low-quality potatoes - as a rule, their skin takes on a greenish tint.
At home, you can also easily become poisoned by chemical fertilizers. For example, potassium chloride is very dangerous because once it enters the bloodstream, the substance blocks the activity of the heart. Death occurs in just a few minutes.
Deadly poisons in nature
Scientists have compiled a list of poisons that, once ingested, have a high probability of death:
- A neurotoxin found in the venom of some snakes. Immediately after the bite, the victim becomes inactive and drowsy. But after a while, muscle cramps appear, breathing becomes more frequent. Death occurs within 20-30 minutes due to paralysis of the respiratory tract. Moreover, no hematomas or tumors appear at the site of the bite. However, such a snake bites very rarely. It is necessary to immediately administer the Anticobra antidote to the patient. If serious breathing problems are observed, ventilation is performed.
- Alpha-latrotoxin, which is contained in spider venom of the karakurt genus. At the moment of the bite, a burning sensation is observed, and after 20-30 minutes the pain spreads throughout the victim’s entire body. The patient’s well-being begins to improve within a few days, and after 2-3 weeks, his or her complete recovery occurs.
- An alpha-conotoxin found in the venom of some species of shellfish (eg, conus shellfish). If you take a shell with a mollusk in your hand, it immediately pierces it with spines. In this case, the victim feels unbearable pain, as a result of which he loses consciousness. After a few minutes, the heartbeat quickens, the fingers go numb, shortness of breath and paralysis of the limbs appear. Deaths have been reported after being pricked by the geographic cone. Moreover, there is no antidote. The patient can only be saved with copious bloodletting from the injection site.
- Titutoxin, which is produced by the yellow fat-tailed scorpion. The poison is so toxic that it kills even an adult. It is with the bite of this scorpion that 95% of all deaths from this poison are associated. They are found in Africa and the Middle East. It is immediately necessary to administer Anti-Scorpion serum, which will help save the victim’s life.
- And finally, the deadliest poison in the world is diamphotoxin. This is the most powerful poison on our planet. Contained in the blood of the larvae of the leaf beetle, common in southern Africa. The insect belongs to the same family as the Colorado potato beetle. The poison is intended only for protection from predators - after eating the beetle, it dies from excruciating pain. After entering the victim’s body, the poison reduces the hemoglobin content by approximately 75%, since red blood cells are intensively destroyed. Poison can only enter the human body through the mouth. There is no antidote.
All poisons are very dangerous and deadly, so if you need to come into contact with them, you need to do this with the utmost caution. If you notice symptoms of poisoning with toxic substances, you must urgently call an ambulance. In some cases, even minutes decide the outcome of the situation. Therefore, if the poison is very dangerous, it is necessary to take an antidote as quickly as possible. Otherwise, there is a high probability of death.
