pickyour-poison-blog

[pickyour-poison-blog]

jimson weed

scientific name: datura stramonium 

common name: jimson weed, datura

toxicity: All parts of Datura plants contain high levels of the tropane alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine. There is a high risk of fatal overdose among uninformed users, and many hospitalizations occur among recreational users who use the plant for its psychoactive effects.

Datura intoxication produces delirium, hyperthermia, tachycardia, bizzare behavior, and severe mydriasis with a resultant painful photophobia that lasts for several days. Pronounced amnesia is also a common effect. Symptoms usually start 30-60 minutes after smoking the herb and usually last for 24-48 hours. However, they can last for up to two weeks.

#poisonous plants #jimson weed

[pickyour-poison-blog]

water hemlock

scientific name: cicuta spp.

common name: water hemlock, cowbane, poison parsnip

toxicity: Three members of the cicuta genus contain a toxin named cicutoxin, which causes central nervous system stimulatory effects such as seizures following ingestion. The onset of symptoms may be as soon as 15 minutes post-ingestion.

Initial symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors, confusion, weakness, dizziness, drowsiness, and the rapid onset of seizure activity. Seizures are usually clonic or tonic-clonic.

Death usually occurs from respiratory failure or ventricular fibrillation secondary to ongoing seizure activity. Fatalities have occurred within a few hours of ingestion.

Occasional long-term effects include retrograde amnesia of the events leading to intoxication/the intoxication itself. Other mild effects may include restlessness, muscle weakness, twitching, and anxiety.

#poisonous plants #water hemlock

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Box jellyfish

Other names: sea wasp

Interesting facts:

-The stings are extremely painful and can be fatal to humans.

-Has a relatively well-developed nervous system.

-Usually found around Asia and Australia.

Symptoms of poisoning: immediate burning pain, irrational behavior, problems breathing, cardiac arrest.

Treatment: immediately apply vinegar to the sting for 30 seconds. 

#poison #jellyfish

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Christmas Rose

Scientific name: Helleborus niger

Other names: Christmas rose, black hellebore

Interesting facts:

-It is in the buttercup family, not the rose family.

-The legend of the Christmas rose tells the story of a young, poor girl who went to see the Christ child. She cried because she didn't have a gift to give, and the Christmas rose sprung from her tears.

-It contains the poison ranunculin (protoanemonin).

Symptoms of poisoning: burning of the eyes/mouth/throat, mouth ulcers, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting blood.

Treatment: immediate decontamination/medical attention.

#poison #poisonous plants #Christmas Rose

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Cone snail

Interesting facts:

-Large ones are dangerous to humans.

-Have a barbed tooth used for stinging.

-Venoms are mainly peptides.

Symptoms of poisoning: intense/localized pain, swelling, numbness/tingling, vomiting, muscle paralysis, vision changes, respiratory failure, death if untreated

Antidote: none known; treatment is to be put on life support until until venom is metabolised

#poison #snail #cone snail

[pickyour-poison-blog]

moonseed

                              scientific name: menispermum

common name: moonseed

toxicity: All parts of this plant are known to be poisonous, causing nausea and vomiting. Children have been killed from eating the fruits.

Asian Moonseed has been used to treat skin disorders, rheumatism, and cervical cancer. Canadian Moonseed has been used in herbal medicine as a tonic, laxative, dermatological aid, venereal aid, and diuretic. 

#poisonous plants #moonseed

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Poison hemlock

Scientific name: Conium maculatum

Interesting facts:

-Was used in Ancient Greece to put people to death (most notably, Socrates).

-Contains a neurotoxin.

-Is also dangerous to animals.

Symptoms of poisoning: respiratory collapse, paralysis, loss of speech, nausea, vomiting, drooling, abdominal pain, drowsiness.

Antidote: activated charcoal.

#poison #poison hemlock #poisonous plants

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Brown recluse spider

Other names: fiddleback spider, violin spider

Scientific name: Loxosceles reclusa

Interesting facts:

-Gets its nickname from the violin-like pattern on its body. 

-Has six eyes instead of eight, like most spiders.

-Prefer isolated habitats.

Symptoms of poisoning: burning sensation where bite is, formation of small pimple-like bump, darkening of surrounding tissue, progression of bite into sunken, open, ulcerated sore 

Antidote: immediate medical attention (involves antibiotics to prevent infection and pain medication)

#poison #spider #brown recluse spider

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Mercury

Interesting facts:

-It’s the only metal element that is liquid at room temperature.

-Fatty fish like tuna are likely to contain mercury from pollution.

-Alchemists once believed that they could use mercury to turn things into gold.

Symptoms of poisoning: pins and needles feeling throughout the body, poor movement coordination, peripheral vision impairment, speech/hearing impairment, muscle weakness, skin discoloration, swelling, sweating, fast heartbeat, high blood pressure, increased salivation, kidney dysfunction.

Antidote: chelation therapy to remove mercury from body using dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). 

#poison #mercury

[pickyour-poison-blog]

larkspur

scientific name: consolida

common name: larkspur

toxicity: Young plants and seeds are poisonous, causing nausea, muscle twitches, and paralysis. Larkspur poisoning is often fatal. 

#poisonous plants #larkspur

[pickyour-poison-blog]

white snakeroot

scientific name: ageratina altissima

common name: white snakeroot, white sanicle, tall boneset

toxicity: All parts of the plant are poisonous and cause nausea and vomiting. Milk from cattle who have ingested the plant can sicken and kill humans. Poisoning is often fatal. 

#poisonous plants #white snakeroot

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Anthrax

Disease caused by Bacillus anthracis.

Interesting facts:

-Can't be spread directly from person to person, but is spread by spores.

-Name comes from the Greek word for "coal" because of the appearance of the black skin lesions caused by infection. 

-Was first discovered in 1875 by Robert Koch.

Symptoms of poisoning: itchy bumps that become severe skin lesions, fever, chills, fatigue, bleeding, edema, nausea, sore throat, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle aches, shortness of breath. 

Antidote: can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.

#poison #anthrax

[pickyour-poison-blog]

angel's trumpet

scientific names: brugmansia

common names: angel's trumpet

toxicity: Toxins in this plant include atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolomine, and other tropane alkaloids. All parts of the plant are poisonous, with the seeds and leaves being the most dangerous. Effects of ingestion can include paralysis of smooth muscles, confusion, tachycardia, dry mouth, diarrhea, migraine headaches, visual and auditory hallucinations, mydriasis, rapid onset cycloplegia, and death. 

Hallucinations resulting from brugmansia poisoning are described as terrifying, rather than pleasurable. These hallucinations are often characterized by complete loss of awareness that one is hallucinating, disconnection from reality, and amnesia of the episode. For example, it was reported in Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience that one young man who ingested a cup of brugmansia tea amputated his own penis and tongue. 

interesting facts: Criminals in Colombia have extracted the scopolomine from the plant and used it to create a drug that leaves victims unaware of what they are doing but completely conscious. Scopolomine can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes, allowing criminals to simply blow the power into the victim's face. A 2007 documentary included an account of one man moving all of his possession out of his apartment into the hands of criminals without remembering any of it.

#poisonous plants #angel's trumpet

[pickyour-poison-blog]

doll's eyes

scientific name: actaea pachypoda

common names: doll's eyes, white baneberry

toxicity: The entire plant is poisonous to humans; however, the berries are most poisonous because they contain cardiogenic toxins which can have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle tissues. Therefore, ingestion of the berries can lead to cardiac arrest and death. 

#poisonous plants #doll's eyes

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Arsenic

Interesting facts:

-Was mixed with vinegar and chalk by women in the Victorian era, then eaten to "improve" their complexion by making their skin pale.

-The Borgias, a powerful family in Italy, were said to have used arsenic to assassinate many political opponents. If one was invited to dine with the Borgias, it may have very well been their last meal.

-Napoleon Bonaparte was rumored to have died of arsenic poisoning.

Symptoms of poisoning: headaches, severe diarrhea, drowsiness, confusion, convulsions, changes in fingernail color, vomiting, blood in urine, convulsions, stomach pain, hair loss, cramps, cancer, kidney problems, wart-like skin irritations, liver problems, nerve damage.

Antidote: DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) or activated carbon.

#poison #arsenic

[pickyour-poison-blog]

rosary pea

scientific name: abrus precatorius

common names: jequirity, crab's eye, rosary pea, John Crow bead, precatory bean, Indian licorice, Akar Saga, Giddee Giddee, Jumbee bead

toxicity: The seeds of this plant are toxic because of the toxin abrin. Symptoms of abrin poisoning are identical to those of ricin; however, abrin is more toxic than ricin by almost two orders of magnitude*.  Abrin can kill with a circulating amount of less than 3 micrograms and the fatal dose for humans is ~0.1-1 mug/kg

* The fatal dose of abrin is approximately 75 times smaller than the fatal dose of ricin.

#poisonous plants #rosary pea

[pickyour-poison-blog]

Morphine

Found in: poppy seeds

Interesting facts:

-Name comes from Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams.

-Is a highly potent narcotic (used to relieve pain).

-Is extremely physiologically and psychologically addicting.

Symptoms of poisoning/overdose: extreme drowsiness, confusion, shallow breathing, fainting, weak pulse, pinpoint pupils, clammy skin, circulatory failure, coma, convulsions, liver failure, hallucination, bluish lips, vomiting, nausea.

Antidote: naloxone.

#poison #morphine