Artificial poisons. Types of poisons for humans. About the most powerful poison in the world

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus once correctly noted: “All substances are poisons; there is not a single one that is not. It’s all about the dose,” and he was absolutely right.

It’s paradoxical: the human body is almost 70% water, but even water in large quantities- destructive. However, sometimes even a drop of a substance is enough, which can be fatal. From flowers to heavy metals and gases produced by man himself; Below is a list of the most dangerous poisons, known to mankind.

Cyanide exists in the form of a colorless gas or crystals, but in either case it is quite dangerous. It smells like bitter almonds, and when it enters the body, in just a few minutes it leads to the appearance of symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, as well as weakness. If action is not taken promptly, cyanide kills by depriving the body's cells of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don't worry if you eat a few. You will have to eat about ten apples before enough cyanide has accumulated in your body for you to feel all of the above. Please don't do this.

24. Hydrofluoric acid (Fluoric acid)

Hydrofluoric acid is a poison used, among other things, to make Teflon. In its liquid state, this substance easily seeps through the skin into the bloodstream. In the body, it reacts with calcium and can even destroy bone tissue. The worst thing is that the effect of contact does not appear immediately, which increases the likelihood of causing serious damage to health.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring crystalline semimetal and is perhaps one of the most well-known and common poisons used as a murder weapon in late XIX century. However, its use for such purposes began in the mid-1700s. The effect of arsenic lasts from several hours to several days, but the result is the same - death. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea, which made it difficult to distinguish arsenic poisoning from dysentery or cholera 120 years ago.

22. Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade

Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade is a very poisonous herb (flower) with a romantic history. What makes it poisonous is an alkaloid called atropine. Absolutely the entire plant is poisonous, although varying degrees: The root contains the most poison, and the berries contain the least. However, even two pieces 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 death, under the influence of belladonna, a seizure develops, the pulse quickens and confusion occurs. Belladonna is not a toy for children.

21. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide)

Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless substance and slightly less dense than air. It poisons and then kills a person. Part of what makes carbon monoxide so dangerous is that it is difficult to detect; sometimes called the "silent killer". This substance prevents oxygen from entering the body for normal cell functioning. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu without fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea and confusion. Fortunately, the detector carbon monoxide can be purchased at any specialty store.

20. Beach apple tree

The most dangerous tree in all of North America grows in Florida. The Manchineel tree or Beach apple tree has small green fruits that look like sweet apples. Don't eat them! And don't touch this tree! Don't sit next to it and pray you never end up underneath it in windy weather. If the sap gets on your skin, it will blister, and if it gets in your eyes, you can go blind. The sap is contained in the leaves and bark, so don't touch them!

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

18. Sodium fluoroacetate

The pesticide used is Compound 1080, also known as sodium fluoroacetate. It is found naturally in some plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The terrible truth of this deadly, odorless and tasteless poison is that there is no antidote for it. Oddly enough, the bodies of those who die from exposure to sodium fluoroacetate remain poisonous for a full year.

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

16. Dimethylmercury (neurotoxin)

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 chemist named Karen Wetterhan 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 she died six months later.

15. Wolfsbane (Wrestler)

Wolfsbane (Fighter) also known as "Monk's Hood", "Wolfsbane", "Leopard's Venom", "Women's Curse", "Devil's Helmet", "Queen of Poisons" and "Blue Rocket". This is practically an entire genus, which includes more than 250 herbs, most of which are extremely poisonous. Flowers can be either blue or yellow. Some of the plants were used not only in folk medicine, but also as a murder weapon over the past decade.

The toxin found in poisonous mushrooms, is called amatoxin. It attacks liver and kidney cells and kills them within a few days. May affect 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. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure of the safety collected mushrooms, don't eat them.

Anthrax is actually a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacteria as the toxin it produces when it enters the body. Bacillus Anthracis can enter the system through the skin, mouth or Airways. The mortality rate for airborne anthrax is as high as 75% even though there is a cure.

12. Hemlock plant

Hemlock is a classic poisonous plant that was regularly used for executions in Ancient Greece. There are several varieties, and in North America, water hemlock is the most common plant. You could die if you ate it, yet people still add hemlock to salads, considering it an acceptable ingredient. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, cramps and tremors. People who have experienced the full power of the whitehead, but survive, may subsequently suffer from amnesia. Water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Keep an eye on small children and even teenagers when they are outside! Don't eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe.

11. Strychnine

Strychnine is commonly used to destroy small mammals and birds and is often the main component of rat poison. In large doses, strychnine is also dangerous for people. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or taken into the body through the skin. The first symptoms: painful muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting. Muscle contractions ultimately leading to suffocation. Death can occur within half an hour. This is a very unpleasant way to die, for both humans and rats.

Most knowledgeable people consider maytotoxin to be the most powerful marine toxin. It is found in a dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic among non-protein toxins.

Mercury is a heavy metal that is quite toxic to humans if inhaled or touched. Touching it can cause the skin to peel off, and if you inhale the mercury vapor, it will eventually shut down your central nervous system and be fatal. Before then, kidney failure, memory loss, brain damage and blindness are likely to occur.

8. Polonium

Polonium is a radioactive chemical element. Its most common form is 250,000 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It emits alpha particles (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 is injected into the body. could kill up to ten million people, causing first radiation poisoning and then cancer.

Suicide tree or Cerbera odollam works by disrupting 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 venom before the practice was made illegal in 1861. (If the person survived, he was found innocent. If he died, it no longer mattered.)

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum and is an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. It causes paralysis, which can lead to death. Botulinum toxin is known 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) that causes muscle paralysis.

5. Pufferfish

Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries, where it is called Fugu; it's a dish that few would literally die for. Why does death occur? 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.

4. Sarin gas

Sarin gas makes you relive the worst moments of your life. The chest shrinks, stronger and stronger, and then... death comes. Although the use of Sarin was made illegal in 1995, it has not stopped being used in terrorist attacks.

3. "Poison Arrow"

golden frog Poison Arrow is tiny, adorable and very dangerous. Just one frog the size of a phalanx thumb contains enough neurotoxin to kill ten people! A dose equal to about two crystals of salt is enough to kill an adult. This is why some Amazonian tribes used poison on the tips of their hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow kills within a few minutes! When walking in the Amazon forests, stick to the rule: do not touch red, blue, green and especially yellow frogs.

Ricin is even more dangerous than anthrax. This substance is obtained from castor beans, the same plant from which castor oil is extracted. This poison is especially toxic if inhaled, and a pinch is enough to kill an adult.

1. "VX"

Codenamed "Purple Possum," the VX chemical is the most powerful nerve gas on Earth. It is man-made, and you can thank the United Kingdom for that. Technically, it was banned in 1993, and the US government allegedly ordered the destruction of its stock, but whether this is actually the case is anyone's guess.

Poison is a very popular means of killing in literature. Books about Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes developed a love of fast-acting, undetectable poisons among readers. But poisons are common not only in literature; there are also real cases of the use of poisons. Here's a ten known poisons, which have been used to kill people for a long time.

10. Hemlock Hemlock, also known as Omega, is a highly toxic flower found in Europe and South Africa. It was very popular among the ancient Greeks, who used it to kill their prisoners. The fatal dose for an adult is 100 milligrams of omega (about 8 leaves of the plant). Death occurs as a result of paralysis, consciousness remains clear, but the body stops responding and the respiratory system soon fails. The most famous case poisoning with this poison is the death of the Greek philosopher Socrates. In 399 BC he was sentenced to death penalty for disrespect Greek gods- the sentence was carried out using a concentrated infusion of Hemlock.

9. Aconite
Aconite is obtained from the borax plant. This poison leaves behind only one post-mortem sign - suffocation. The poison causes severe arrhythmia, which ultimately leads to suffocation. You can get poisoned even by simply touching the leaves of the plant without gloves, since the substance is very quickly and easily absorbed. Due to the difficulty in finding traces of this poison in the body, it has become popular among people attempting to commit untraceable murder. Despite this, aconite has its own famous victim. Emperor Claudius poisoned his wife Agrippina using aconite in a mushroom dish.

8. Belladonna
This is a favorite poison among girls! Even the name of the plant from which it is obtained comes from Italian and means “ Beautiful woman" The plant was originally used in the Middle Ages for cosmetic purposes - eye drops were made from it, which dilated the pupils, which made women more seductive (at least they thought so). If they rubbed their cheeks a little, it would give them a reddish tint, which is now achieved with blush. It seems that the plant is not very scary? In fact, even one leaf can be lethal if ingested, which is why it was used to make poisonous arrow tips. Belladonna berries are the most dangerous - 10 attractive berries can become fatal.

7. Dimethylmercury
It is a slow killer made by man. But this is precisely what makes him much more dangerous. Taking a dose of 0.1 milliliter leads to death. However, the symptoms of poisoning become apparent only after several months, which greatly complicates treatment. In 1996, a chemistry teacher at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire dropped a drop of poison on her hand - dimethylmercury passed through her latex glove, symptoms of poisoning appeared four months later, and she died ten months later.

6. Tetrodotoxin
This substance is contained in sea ​​creatures- Blue-ringed octopus and pufferfish. The octopus is more dangerous, since it deliberately poisons the victim with this poison, which causes death within a few minutes. The amount of venom released in one bite is enough to kill 26 adults in a few minutes, and the bites are usually so painless that the victim only realizes he has been bitten when paralysis sets in. Pufferfish are only dangerous if you intend to eat them. If a pufferfish fugu dish is prepared correctly, then all its poison completely evaporates, and it can be consumed without any consequences, except for the adrenaline rush from the thought that the cook made a mistake when preparing the dish.

5. Polonium
Polonium is a slow-acting radioactive poison for which there is no cure. One gram of polonium can kill about 1.5 million people in a few months. Most famous case polonium poisoning - murder former employee KGB-FSB Alexander Litvinenko. Residues of polonium were found in his body in a dose 200 times greater than necessary for fatal outcome. He died within three weeks.

4. Mercury
There are three very dangerous species mercury Elemental mercury can be found in glass thermometers. It is harmless if touched, but is fatal if inhaled. Inorganic mercury is used in making batteries and is only lethal if ingested. Organic mercury is found in fish such as tuna and swordfish (you should not eat more than 170 grams of their meat per week). If you consume these types of fish for too long, harmful substance may accumulate in the body. A famous death from mercury is that of Amadeus Mozart, who was given mercury tablets to treat syphilis.

3. Cyanide
This poison was used in Agatha Christie's books. Cyanide is very popular (spies use cyanide tablets to kill themselves if captured) and there are many reasons for its popularity. First of all: the source of cyanide is great amount substances - almonds, apple seeds, apricot kernels, tobacco smoke, insecticides, pesticides, etc. The murder in this case can be explained by an everyday accident, such as the accidental ingestion of a pesticide. The fatal dose of cyanide is 1.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Secondly, cyanide kills quickly. Depending on the dose, death occurs within 15 minutes. Cyanide in gas form (hydrogen cyanide) was used by Nazi Germany in gas chambers during the Holocaust.

2. Botulinum Toxin
If you have read books about Sherlock Holmes, you have heard about this poison. Botulinum toxin causes botulism, a disease that can be fatal if not treated promptly. Botulism causes muscle paralysis, eventually leading to paralysis of the respiratory system and death. The bacterium enters the body through open wounds or contaminated food. Botulinum toxin is the same substance that is used in Botox injections.

1. ArsenicArsenic is called the “King of Poisons” for its stealth and strength - traces of it were previously impossible to find, so it was often used for murder and in literature. This continued until the invention of the Marsh test, with which one can find poison in water, food, etc. The “King of Poison” claimed many lives: Napoleon Bonaparte, George III and Simon Bolivar died from this poison. Like belladonna, arsenic was used in the Middle Ages for cosmetic purposes. A few drops of poison made the woman’s skin white and pale.

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 amounts to cause death - sometimes just enough 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 actual 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 of carbon monoxide poisoning are 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. It is found naturally in several plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The scary truth about this deadly poison odorless and tasteless 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 is an entire genus of over 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 from 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 a 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 Poison Arrow Frog - Tiny, adorable and quite dangerous. Just one frog 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

Poison is essentially any substance that can cause damage to the body, worsen health, and even cause death. Under certain circumstances, even substances, compounds, products and liquids that are completely neutral and harmless at first glance can become poisons - it’s all a matter of dose or a combination of factors.

There are literally thousands of poisons around us. Science knows about 5 thousand toxins, which cause most poisonings.

History of the study of poisons

Humanity has encountered poisons throughout its history, and until alchemists and then chemists took up the matter, people dealt with poisons of plant and animal origin. About seven hundred species are known in the world poisonous plants and approximately five thousand species of poisonous animals, interaction with which has serious consequences, including death.

People have been actively exploiting poisons for centuries, using them as medicines, weapons and as antidotes. Poisons were a means of blackmail, a tool in politics, and at the same time they tried to use poisons for good, for example, to get rid of rats or insects that cause great harm to townspeople and rural residents.

With the development of the predecessor of chemistry - alchemy, poisons began not only to be used, but also to be invented, mixing various natural ingredients of both organic and inorganic origin. Compounds of toxic metals (lead, mercury, etc.) were used. natural poisons, their combinations, and " knowledgeable people"were worth their weight in gold and were surrounded by an aura of gloomy reverence and fear. In the 16th century, Ambroise Paré even wrote the famous “Treatise on Poisons” - a book that is still known today.

With the development of science, the range of poisons has only expanded, because chemists have learned to synthesize new substances that do not exist in nature. In addition, humanity has become acquainted with radioactive elements, which are also the strongest poisons for our body.

Nowadays, poisons are used:

• in agriculture as fertilizers, pesticides (pesticides), insecticides (insect repellents), ratacids (poisons for rats and mice);
• in medicine (in microdoses) as medicines, antidotes, narcotic drugs;
• in production as ingredients;
• in chemical laboratories as chemicals, reagents;
• in everyday life as means for cleaning, cleaning, washing and even cooking (for example, vinegar essence);
• in societies at a primitive stage of development, poisons are still used for hunting in our century;
• as weapons (for the first time gaseous poisons mass destruction were used during the First World War);
• in the drug business - as substances that alter consciousness and cause addiction (drugs and alcohol);
• Well, suicides use those poisons from the list above that were available to them.

Features of the action of poisons

Poison does not always act unconditionally in the same way. Often, certain conditions are necessary for toxic effects on the body. Let's get to know them better.

• The chemical form of the poison (its state of aggregation– solid, liquid or gaseous). It is important because it determines the degree and possibility of poisoning. For example, if we talk about mercury, the most toxic option is mercury vapor, the least toxic is mercury in its pure form (liquid metal in the form of “droplets”).
• Rate of poison absorption. It is most often also determined by the form of the poison: volatile, gaseous and vaporous poisons act most quickly, since they instantly enter the bloodstream after inhalation; Solid poisons act more slowly, as they need time to dissolve in the stomach and be absorbed into the blood.
• The amount of poison that enters the body (dosage). This indicator is very important, since there are substances that, in microdoses, act as medicines, providing a therapeutic effect. In addition, most poisons simply have a toxic dose and a lethal dose - that is, the amount of poison that will cause death
• The concentration of the poison, that is, how large its amount is in any neutral substance (for example, the content of poisonous gases in the air). Thus, unconcentrated hydrochloric acid has a therapeutic effect, while concentrated acid strongly damages tissue.
• The ability of a poison to dissolve in something (the better the poisons dissolve, the higher their toxicity and speed of action, and fat-soluble poisons can act even from the outside, through the skin.
• Methods of penetration of the toxin into the body: oral (by ingestion), respiratory, skin, through mucous membranes, intravenous and intramuscular and a number of others. Both the symptoms and the speed of action of the poison depend on this.
• The rate of removal of poison from the body and the ability of the toxin to accumulate in tissues - this indicator determines the severity of the consequences and the time required to eliminate them.
• Combinations of poisons with each other: some toxins enhance each other (for example, alcohol and sedatives or hypnotics - barbiturates), some mutually block the action (for example, cyanide and sodium nitrate or glucose). They are called synergists and antagonists, respectively, and the latter are sometimes used as an antidote.
• Freshness of the poison (how old it was made and how far it has lost its properties).
• The exposure environment and its characteristics (for example, toxic substances dissolved in water and dispersed in the air act differently). In addition, certain environmental characteristics such as humidity, temperature, Atmosphere pressure can intensify poisoning or mitigate it ( alcohol intoxication aggravated by the action negative temperatures, A high humidity air enhances the damaging ability of gaseous toxins).

Features of the body that determine the course of poisoning

• Age of the victim: the younger the person, the more severe the poisoning (babies under one year of age are most vulnerable to any toxins). This is explained by the unformed immune system in children and the inability of the kidneys to cope with powerful intoxication. This is why children sometimes get poisoned for reasons that an adult will not even notice (at most, they will experience a slight illness). Old people are also more vulnerable.
• The weight of the poisoned person: the smaller it is, the more toxin there is per unit mass, which means the poisoning is more severe. That is why the same dose of alcohol will lead to intoxication of a big man weighing a hundredweight, and will cause the death of a thin and weak person (especially a teenager or an elderly person).
• Gender matters too. It is difficult to say who is more resistant to poisons: studies provide conflicting information on this matter, calling women either more vulnerable or more resistant. One thing is certain: women have certain periods when they are more vulnerable than usual: pregnancy, lactation (breastfeeding), menstruation (due to blood loss from the body).
• Some diseases also affect the process of poisoning: if the kidneys and liver are already weakened by the disease, a person is much more vulnerable to intoxication, since the body is not able to fully filter and remove poisons.
• Increased sensitivity to toxins (for example, when taking antibiotics).
• Tolerance (resistance) of the body to a toxic substance (a classic example is certain stages of alcoholism, at which a person is able to absorb very large quantities of alcohol without particularly severe consequences). This ability of the body was used in ancient times to “accustom” to small doses of toxic substances, which, when consumed regularly, developed a kind of “immunity.”
• Hereditary factor is a genetically determined increased sensitivity to poison (for example, among the peoples of the North to ethyl alcohol), or, conversely, increased resistance. This fact is due to the presence (or absence) and degree of activity of certain enzymes in the body.

What do poisons affect in the body?

All poisons are very different in their effects on individual organs and systems. Poisons are released that are dangerous for:

• mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach and intestines (corroding it);
• respiratory tract (provoke pulmonary edema);
• hemoglobin in the blood (blocking it and making it impossible to supply the body with oxygen);
• certain enzymes (blocking them, which makes it impossible to supply cells with oxygen);
• liver and kidney tissues – provoke their decomposition (necrosis);
• central nervous system (disturbing and blocking its work);
• heart (causing it to stop).

What are the poisons?

The world of poisons is extremely diverse, and the number of their classifications is large. Chemists, doctors, toxicologists, forensic experts and other specialists classify poisons based on characteristics such as toxicity, chemical structure, conditions of poisoning, clinical picture (symptoms), etc.

Most often, poisons are distinguished by the localization of their action: local (act at the site of injury, like acids or alkalis) and absorbable (act on the blood, organs and tissues, nervous or cardiovascular system, as well as on the functions of individual organs and systems).

How do poisons enter the body and how are they eliminated?

The routes by which toxic substances enter the body sometimes significantly determine the course and severity of poisoning.

• For example, poisons that enter through the esophagus and stomach are neutralized to some extent by the liver. But the poisons that a person inhales do not pass this filtration barrier.
• Poison that gets on the skin penetrates the blood quite quickly, but when administered intravenously, the process occurs almost instantly, affecting all organs and systems.
• Such exotic routes of poison entering the body as the anus and vagina (through an enema or by introducing tampons soaked in toxin) also lead to rapid damage to the body, because the poison does not pass the liver barrier.

Removal of poison is also very important point: there are toxins that have the ability to accumulate (deposit) in tissues, their damaging ability is high, and treatment is more difficult and longer. Normally, poisons that enter the stomach are excreted through the esophagus with vomit, through the kidneys and intestines; and those that enter the respiratory tract - partially through the lungs.

Types of poisoning

The nature of the course of intoxication determines what type of poisoning we face:

• Acute poisoning with poisons develops rapidly, within a maximum of an hour or two. For acute poisoning to occur, a single large or lethal dose of a toxic substance is sufficient. Examples include cyanide or carbon monoxide poisoning. Often it is acute poisoning that ends in death.
• Subacute poisoning is a poisoning affecting organs or systems that develops within a day or two.
• Chronic poisoning occurs when small doses of poison are constantly introduced into the body over a period of time. long period time (for example, intoxication with nicotine and its combustion products during smoking or “passive smoking” - constant exposure to smokers).

Another classification by type of poisoning implies the context of the situation in which poisoning occurred:

• Accidental household poisonings (they most often affect children who, out of ignorance, mistake toxic substances for food or treats). This also includes methyl alcohol poisoning in alcoholics who take a surrogate instead of regular ethyl alcohol, and use solvents, cleaning fluids, etc. for this. Also accidental are drug poisonings, when a patient mistakenly takes too large a dose of a drug or confuses it with another medicine.
• Food poisoning occurs when consuming low quality products or drinks, expired products, improperly stored, or infected due to contact with bacteria carriers. The most serious of them are mushroom poisoning and botulism (poisoning by botulinum toxins found in improperly prepared or stored home-canned meat, fish or mushrooms).
• Occupational poisoning occurs at work when working with toxic materials, ingredients, etc. They are most often caused by accidents, accidents and safety violations.
• Suicides – suicide attempts (completed and unfinished).
• Murder and attempted murder are attempts to take the life of a person by injecting him with poisons in one way or another (most often through food or drink).

What are the symptoms of poisoning?

Poisoning with poisons has very different clinical picture, in which everything mainly depends on the specific damaging substance and the method of its penetration into the body.

Some common features, suggesting poisoning and being a signal to immediately seek medical help, there are still:

• sudden sharp deterioration in health, lethargy, weakness - or, on the contrary, overexcitement,
• headache,
• dizziness, loss of consciousness,
• high fever, chills,
• convulsions, tremors in the limbs,
• pulse irregularities,
• increase or decrease in pressure,
• stomach ache,
• nausea and vomiting,
• diarrhea, especially with mucus and blood.

First aid: what to do in case of poisoning

Poisoning of the body with toxins requires immediate qualified medical care, the purpose of which is to block and remove the toxin from the body.

Poisoning with poisons is not a case when you can get by with handicraft methods of self-help. Self-medication can lead to serious complications and death. However, there are a number of consistent first-aid measures aimed at preventing further penetration of poison into the body and removing toxins that have already entered the body.

What to do?

• call an ambulance;
• stop further action toxic factor;
• if possible, find out from the victim or by examining the scene of the incident what and under what conditions the poisoning occurred - you will inform the doctors about this and make it easier for them to treat;
• induce vomiting and lavage the stomach with salted water, but if the person is unconscious, this should not be done, you should lay him on his side or simply turn his head so that he does not choke on spontaneous vomiting;
• provide mucous coating agents, as well as absorbents for binding, blocking and removing poisons;
• give a laxative to cleanse the intestines.

Treatment for poisoning

When poisoning occurs, help must come immediately, otherwise any measures may no longer be effective. During hospitalization, doctors carry out:

• forced diuresis to quickly remove the toxin;
• administration of an antidote (most often it is unithiol, sodium thiosulfate, EDTA);
• symptomatic treatment: pain relief, support for affected organs and systems;
• complex blood purification using special equipment;
• introduction of hepaprotectors that support the liver.

For moderate and mild poisoning, recovery occurs relatively quickly, within a couple of weeks. In case of severe poisoning, recovery takes months, or even does not occur at all. If help was not provided on time or the nature of the poison itself did not leave the body a chance (as with cyanide poisoning), death occurs.

Therefore, take care of yourself, and in case of trouble, immediately seek medical help.

Poisons include substances that can cause dangerous disorders in the body. They can contribute to the development of poisoning, diseases, and pathological conditions leading to human death. Today there are many various types toxins and poisons that differ in origin, strength of influence and other characteristics.

Poisons and toxic substances are usually divided into several main groups depending on their properties. Usually, most All toxic substances known to mankind can be classified into one of several groups, among which there are natural toxins, local and systemic poisons.

A separate list of names of poisons also includes the most deadly toxins for humans, which include botulinum toxin, diamphotoxin, ricin, titutoxin, tetrodotoxin and some other substances.

The peculiarity of systemic poisons is that they damage the entire organ system or affect some of them. This occurs due to the transport function of blood, which in a short period of time “carries” toxic substance to all key organs (such as the brain and heart).

Cyanide, or potassium cyanide

This inorganic poison has become widely known among people due to the fact that when poisoned with this substance, death occurs very quickly. Potassium cyanide obtained from (since it is its salt), which, in turn, is also a potent toxin.

Cyanide is used in a wide variety of areas:

• In the mining industry and for steel production (for cyanidation of steel).
• IN jewelry for gilding, silvering and degreasing, as well as for other galvanic processes. Ammonium cyanide (CA) can also be used for these purposes.
• Cyanide can be used to create some rare artistic paints (such as Prussian blue or milori).
• In the fight against rodents and insects (such as wasps).

When it enters the human body, the poison blocks the cellular enzyme - cytochrome c oxidase, which leads to oxygen starvation of cells and their rapid death. The functioning of internal organs ceases, after which death occurs.

In general, the symptoms are very similar to suffocation, in which a person experiences an acute lack of oxygen. You should know that sugar (more precisely, glucose) converts the cyanide substance into cyanohydrin, which is much less dangerous to human health than potassium cyanide.

Strychnine (indole alkaloid)

In medicine it is known as strychnine nitrate, or nitrate salt. This is used in minute concentrations to provide an analeptic (revitalizing) effect:

• Thanks to this, the digestive function of the stomach and intestines improves.
• Blood pressure, respiratory rate, and heart rate increase.
• Muscle tone appears, and lethargy and fatigue are relieved. In some cases, psychostimulants that contain strychnine can be prescribed for paralysis or paresis (incomplete paralysis).
• The bladder sphincter is strengthened, which leads to the elimination of urinary incontinence (particularly in children).
• Color vision, hearing and smell are enhanced.

In case of strychnine poisoning, involuntary convulsions will be among the first symptoms. Nagging pains appear throughout the body. At the same time, the toxin begins to have a destructive effect on the psyche: a sensation of goose bumps appears, everything begins to irritate, even the slightest noise.

With further poisoning, a person feels unable to relax his muscles - his arms and legs become elongated, like sticks, and the intensity of convulsions becomes increasingly higher. Such symptoms are accompanied by severe pain and panic.

A dose of 0.005 g is enough for the poison to begin its effect. When the concentration of the substance increases to 0.05 g, death from suffocation occurs. Strychnine has no antidote; To neutralize its effect, it is necessary to cleanse the stomach with tannins.

Barbituric acid preparations

In other words, barbiturates, which include such well-known drugs as chloroform and chloral hydrate. Also among these drugs are huge number various sleeping pills and sedatives. Not all of them can cause death - unless the dose is exceeded by more than 10 times.

However, among the fast-acting barbiturates, there are some types that can cause respiratory arrest. An example of such a drug is pentobarbital (trade name Nembutal), which is used in Switzerland, the Netherlands and some states as a means of euthanasia.

This drug is used as a potent sleeping pill and also for anesthesia; Sleep occurs approximately 30 minutes after taking pentobarbital. If the dose is violated, the medicine turns into poison, the effect of which reduces the force of heart contractions, after which a gradual attenuation of the pulse occurs.

This list of poisons includes all toxic substances that have a necrotizing, cauterizing and irritating effect on the skin and mucous membrane. This can also include caustic vapors and gases, as well as many types of chemical weapons.

Another name for such toxic substances is local poisons. Unlike the previous group, some of them are capable of injuring people without even entering the body (for example, liquid mustard gas).

However, most often poisoning with such substances occurs in chemical production, in particular, in many plants and factories that produce goods household chemicals. Most available poisons belong exactly to this category.

Mercury and arsenic poisoning

There are many household and medical sources of mercury, which can lead to poisoning from its vapors. For example, some mercury thermometers contain about two grams of mercury; individual species fluorescent lamps may contain several tens of milligrams. Mercury lamps are no exception.

In medicine, they try to replace mercury with less harmful analogues, however, it can still be found in vaccines (using mercury-containing substances). Mercury poisoning causes the following symptoms:

• Severe and cutting pain in the abdominal area.
• Headache and temporal pain.
• Increased salivation; It becomes difficult to swallow, as there is a feeling of a swollen throat.
• The occurrence of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (sometimes with bloody mucus).
• A cough and chills may begin.

If left untreated, death occurs within a few days. For treatment acute forms poisoning, the patient is hospitalized; in moderate forms, outpatient treatment is prescribed. One of the "oldest" is egg white(in raw form).

The effect of arsenic on the human body has much in common with mercury poisoning: symptoms also include headaches, vomiting and acute diarrhea; but the rate of poisoning of the body is different.

When mercury enters the body, it does not manifest itself in any way during the first hour or two; the effect of arsenic, as a rule, becomes noticeable within a few minutes (in the case of acute intoxication). In case of minor poisoning, a metallic taste appears in the mouth and tinnitus occurs.

As first aid, the antidote Unithiol is injected into the muscle; if it is not there, then the patient is given a glass of water mixed with table vinegar (one or two tablespoons) to drink. You can add a few grams of tartaric or citric acid to the water.

Caustic acids and alkalis

A striking example such substances are sulfuric acid. Almost everyone has heard that getting this solution on the skin will leave long-healing ulcers and severe chemical burns. In addition to the skin, acid can affect the respiratory tract, leading to laryngitis, bronchitis and other diseases.

No less dangerous is nitric acid, which, when it enters the human body, causes terrible headaches and pulmonary edema; the toxic fumes of this substance can very quickly deprive a person of his vision. Chronic “micro-poisoning” (if safety precautions are not followed at a chemical plant, for example) over time lead to the destruction of tooth enamel, as well as complex damage to internal organs.

Hydrofluoric acid, or hydrofluoric acid, is so caustic that it can burn through glass surfaces. This substance is especially dangerous because initial contact with the skin does not cause severe pain in a person, and the longer the acid is on any surface, the more damage it causes. As first aid, you should immediately wash the affected area of ​​the body and call an ambulance.

Alkalis, along with acids, can cause no less harm to human health. The most caustic and dangerous are sodium hydroxide, caustic ammonium, lithium hydroxide, and potassium alkali. Each of these species is extremely dangerous if it comes into contact with skin and into the respiratory tract. Therefore, you should be very careful when working with concentrated alkalis and acids.

Tabun, Zarin, Soman

All three toxic substances belong to chemical weapons nerve-paralytic action. The most powerful of them is Soman, which is more than twice as toxic as Sarin and Tabun. These substances are used in gaseous form by spraying over probable enemy from the air using chemical warheads.

Intoxication with these gases manifests itself in symptoms such as severe dizziness, loss of coordination between movements, shortness of breath and severe chest pain, loss of consciousness, as well as death (which occurs within one minute at a concentration of the substance of 0.075 mg/l).

Sarin and Soman gases do not have a specific odor; in this regard, they can only be detected based on the initial symptoms, which manifest themselves in lacrimation, cough and headache. There are effective antidotes (for example, Atropine), the effectiveness of which depends on the degree of damage. In severe cases, death can occur within minutes.

It cannot be said that such chemical substances are the most dangerous poisons in the world, since the likelihood of being poisoned by them in Everyday life for the average person is quite small (if he, again, is not a chemist). However, after the terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway, where 8 people died from sarin poisoning, it is obvious that one should be prepared for anything.

These types of poisons do not always lead to tragedies, but this does not make them any less dangerous or toxic. Some sources of such toxins grow right under human feet, while other varieties are produced by animals, insects and fruit trees.

It is thanks to these “natural gifts” that almost every person knows that it is better not to put some berries in the mouth. If poisoning occurs, then, in most cases, the victim is pumped out and treated; Deaths are relatively rare, but they do happen.

Toadstools, fly agarics and false honey mushrooms

Mushrooms contain a lot of different microelements and substances; Some of them (like those listed above) remain very harmful and dangerous for humans during heat treatment. It is enough to eat 30 grams of toadstool to occupy the toilet for a long time. Also to characteristic symptoms This includes a decrease in heart rate, the appearance of severe thirst and frequent loss of consciousness.

Poisonous mushrooms, if not treated promptly, lead to death, especially if a person already suffers from serious illnesses such as hepatitis. Some types of fly agaric can cause hallucinations; however, this occurs only after severe intoxication of the body.

Black widow (karakurt)

The CIS region is definitely lucky in terms of the absence of many poisonous snakes, insects and spiders, whose bites easily kill a person. Karakurt is a spider, 10-20 mm in size, whose venom contains natural neurotoxins.

When bitten by such a spider, a person experiences burning and severe pain in the chest and abdomen, after which the heartbeat increases. After 15 minutes, vomiting and headache may occur, leading to blackouts and delirium.

If a special serum is not administered to the patient, the likelihood of death or irreparable harm to health increases. An example of such a serum is novocaine, as well as sodium hydrogen sulfate.

Wolf's bast (wolfberry)

Eating beautiful-looking berries can lead to severe intestinal damage. As a rule, children suffer from such poisoning, who can pick the fruits of the wolfberry simply out of curiosity.

The clinical picture of poisoning is similar to mushroom poisoning: abdominal pain, nausea, severe diarrhea and weakness of the body. The difference is that the consumption of wolfberry, as a rule, is not widespread; Children usually swallow no more than one or two berries, so deaths much less than that of mushrooms.

For first aid, all the actions that are taken in case of emergency must be carried out. food poisoning, that is, taking sorbents, gastric lavage, diet and bed rest.