#poisons

[cryptwrites]

Poisons

Hello! I'm gonna share how I go about writing poisons and the things I think are helpful to keep in mind. Now, I have never actually poisoned someone - shocker - but I have done extensive research on the topic, so I would say I know a decent amount about how to effectively poison someone. Disclaimer: This is for writing purposes only, don't poison people. Thanks.

Keep In Mind:

Poisoners need little to no physical strength although they do need a strong sense of self control & nerves of steel. Shooting or stabbing someone takes a mere moment of consideration and is frequently the result of  a split second decision, while position requires dedication. Many poisons require a certain amount of time to work and the poisoner usually must administer several doses of poison in order to work. The poisoner also usually must be within close proximity to their victim and often will have to look them in the eye and engage with the person while the person slowly dies.

Exotic poisons can be more trouble than they’re worth. Importing exotic poisons leaves a trail for authorities to follow, and they require more research to correctly use.

Smart poisoners work with what they’ve got. The clever killer looks for drugs that are already in the victim’s medicine cabinet and that could be deadly. Read medical warning labels to get an idea of how to use them.

Poison can be used in ways that aren’t deadly. If the goal isn’t death, you can render someone dizzy or dopey, making a character vulnerable to a bad influence. 

Common Poisons

Hemlock: Poison hemlock comes from a large fern-like plant that bears a dangerous resemblance to the carrot plant. It was readily available for treating muscle spasms, ulcers, and swelling, but in large doses will cause paralysis and ultimately respiratory failure. 

Mandrake: It was used as a sedative, hallucinogen and aphrodisiac. Superstition mediaeval denizens believes when the vaguely human-shaped root was pulled out that plant gave a piercing shriek that would drive anyone to madness or death - hence the harry potter scene.

Arsenic: Arsenic comes from a metalloid and not a plant, unlike the others but it’s easily the most famous and is still used today. instead of being distilled from a plant, chunks of arsenic and dug up or mined. It was once used as a treatment for STDs , and also for pest control and blacksmiths, which was how many poisoners got access to it. It was popular in the Renaissance since it looked similar to malaria death, due to acute symptoms including stomach cramps, confusion, convulsions, vomiting and death. Slow poisoning looked more like a heart attack.

Nightshade: A single leaf or a few berries could cause hallucinations - a few more was a lethal dose. Mediaeval women used the juice of the berries to colour their cheeks, they would even put a few drops on their eyes to cause the pupils to dilate for a lovestruck look which is why Nightshade is also called ‘Belladonna’ or “Beautiful woman.” The symptoms include dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, tachycardia, loss of balance, staggering, headache, rash, flushing, severely dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, delirium and convulsions.

Aconite: This toxic plant, also called Monkshood or Wolfsbane, was used by indigenous tribes around the world as arrow poison. The root is the most potent for distillation. Marked symptoms may appear almost immediately, usually not later than one hour, and with large doses death is near instantaneous. The initial signs are gastrointestinal including nausea, and vomiting. This is followed by a sensation of burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth and face, and of burning in the abdomen. In severe poisonings pronounced motor weakness occurs and sensations of tingling and numbness spread to the limbs. The plant should be handled with gloves, as the poison can seep into the skin.

If someones poisoning another:

The character should analyse the daily life of the target well before attempting to poison them. Note what sort of medicines they take, at what moments they are most vulnerable, how attentive they are to their surroundings, and so on.

Choose a poison that suits your needs. You need to be as discreet as possible and not arouse suspicion. Too dramatic and people will know something is up. Choose poisons that are easy to slip into meals/don't have to be administered constantly, or you could simply frame it as an overdose by using the target's own medicines.

Think of how you want to administer the poison. Some take effect through touch while some require being swallowed. Based on that, come up with a plan to poison your target.

Make sure everything corresponds with the plot and characters, and nothing becomes a plot hole. Don't have a typically nervous character be perfectly calm when thinking of poisoning. Don't poison someone just for the sake of it. Have everything tie back to the plot, your characters rarely should be poisonings someone just for the "cool" effect. Trust me, it doesn't actually have that effect and just comes off like lazy writing. Have your characters act in accordance with their personalities.

Research time periods and history when choosing poisons. Not all poisons were popular during the same time periods, and not all of them are native to the same geographical areas.

#horror writing #creative writing #writer #writing #writers #writerscommunity #writerscorner #writeblr #writing exercise #writer things #writers tips #writing tips #writing resources #writing is hard #poisons #writing poisons #writing challenge #writing reference #reference #fiction #fiction writing

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Text: I finally locate a witch selling tiny black flowers, grown and plucked from her very own skin. They are poisons and love potions all at once, for when you want the worst type of revenge.

#creative writing #writing prompts #dwp #witchcraft and magic objects #flowers #love #revenge #poisons #bodies

[bonefall]

do you have a short list of compounds that make you automatically rule out a food as cat-safe? unfortunately i find that most things say "it can cause an upset stomach!!!" when i look them up which doesn't actually tell me "is this Actually Poison or could a clan cat (who has a slightly stronger stomach than a real cat) be fine eating this?"

Not compiled, but from what I remember off the top of my head;

Tartaric Acid (grapes, raisins)

Saponins (This is the instant-kill compound in lilies)

Peonine (Had to rule out peonies as a medicine because of this)

Taxine (Yew)

Yeast (raw yeast will ferment a cat's stomach acids, VERY painful way to die)

Methylxanthines (Caffeine, theobromine, this is the thing that makes chocolate kill non-human animals)

Organosulfides (From alliums like onions or garlic; destroys blood cells and causes rapid anemia)

The way I figure out if it's deadly or not is by doing that cursory research, then changing the question to "Why is X dangerous to cats?"

In the case of peppers and capsaicin, you'll get a further breakdown of "because it upsets their stomach, they probably can't taste it anyway, etc etc." In the case of onions, you will get a further explaination of organosulfides and how these can oxidize red blood cells.

This becomes a lot more important for my medicinal research for herb guides, because you get less straight answers for plants that aren't usually used in cooking. It makes sense; people are infinitely more likely to google if they need to take their pet to the hospital after it snuck a couple bites of forbidden food, rather than "white peony safe for cats?"

#bone babble #Bones gives advice #Poisons

[hulia-jal]

avrage teenage gay starterpack

#louis tomlinson #hozier #taylor swift #lovejoy #crywank #queen band #spiderman #poisons #fleabag #legally blonde #legally blind #daredevil #mitski #our flag means death #our flag means gay #hannigram #hannibal #infj #rollerblading #good omens

[ladykissingfish]

Deidara: You’ve been in here for days, Sasori. What are you doing?

Sasori: Updating my Poison List.

Deidara: Poison … list?

Sasori: Mm. It’s a constantly-changing list of all the poisons I keep on hand in my lab here, what plants and herbs are needed to make them, what their side effects are in different doses, their antidotes, that sort of thing. Been so busy with this Akatsuki nonsense lately that I realize I haven’t fully updated my inventory in quite a while.

Deidara: Jeez … remind me never to make you angry so that you don’t try and poison me to death, hm.

Sasori: Oh, I couldn’t do that.

Deidara: Aww … because you love me so much??

Sasori: No; because you’re immune to all but a select few of them.

Deidara: … how would you know I’m immune?

Sasori: Because I’ve been micro-dosing your food and drinks for two years with bits of everything. Very trace amounts at first but then more and more. You’ve now had very large quantities of toxins that could kill a man several times over, but you haven’t reacted at all to them. I’ve helped you build an immunity.

Sasori: *kisses Deidara’s cheek* You can thank me for my efforts later. Now run along and let me work, okay? I’ll come and make you dinner later.

Deidara:

#sasodei #sasori x deidara #sasori #deidara #the akatsuki #poisons #no for real Sasori doing this is so in-line with his character that it’s insane 😅 #what you call “love” others would likely call “red flags” Danna #❤️💛

[champagnexowishes]

#halloween #happy Halloween #spooky szn #spooky vibes #poisons #apothecary #champagnexowishes #fall #autumn #Halloweekend #halloween vibes #fall vibes #vintage #vintage halloween

[sometiktoksarevalid]

#no cc #poisons #strychnine

[clawmarks]

The Deathcup Toadstool. Woodland tales - Ernest Thompson Seton - 1923 - via Internet Archive

#Illustration #childrens books #mushrooms #poisons

[promptsforyourwhumpfic]

Whump Prompt #1103

Your characters fate has been sealed (A curse/poison/illness/injury). They know they are going to die, and that they only have so long left. 

How long do they put off telling their loved ones? How determined are they to get the job done? 

When it’s time for them to pass... are they content? Are the loved ones screaming and crying and begging them to survive?

#whump #writing #prompts #curses #terminal injury #terminal illness #poisons #self sacrifice #tw: death

[katedrawscomics]

the widdershins apothecary enamel pin kickstarter is live!

come bag some cute potions or deadly poisons- save £1 per pin and get free stickers if you order a set!

the kickstarter and the discounts that come with it are only live for 14 days, so click here to grab 'em while you can!

#enamel pins #pins #poisons #apothecary #potions

[that-knife-lady]

#knife lady shit #we love poison #We're besties dw #He'll survive #potions #poisons #and pliquids

[traumatizedjaguar]

Lmao so funny story, I found history searches on my fathers devices about *cyanide* and “easily obtainable poisons” and *I hate women/I hate my wife and kids/abuser/misogynistic related things* also chemsee sells test kits for not too expensive amounts. Also, just keeping these posts as a reminder that my father (and brother) tried to poison me since I was a minor, so it doesn’t get lost.

#my text #true crime #poisoning #poisons #abusive father #abusive parents #parental abuse #tw #actuallyabused #sibling abuse #confessions of an abuser #confession #actuallytraumatized #complex ptsd #abuser mention #tw murder mention #tw attempted murder #murder mention tw #attempted murder #tw true crime #personal trauma stories #abusive brother #abusive sibling #not funny just being sarcastic like I usually always am about everything #abusers are dumb like if I died from being poisoned slowly over the course of years… #wouldn’t the police be able to find old history searches on his devices? and his hatred toward women? like yeah I’d think possibly so

[whotookmysenbon]

Do your poisoned senbon taste like anything? Or do you only put the untipped end in your mouth like a sane person?

Depends on the poison. Paralytics are really bitter, but those I often keep on hand with my plain ones because they’re a good deterrent for nosey genin and Anko and are usually what I end up sticking in my mouth on accident.

Then there’s sedatives, which are sour and also good for getting Anko to sleep after she’s had too much caffeine and we all just need some peace and quiet.

Then the neurotoxins and hemotoxins which are kept in sealed, color coded packages. I hit myself with one once in my chunin days and nearly died even with my immunities. Those cause seizures and multi organ failure and clotting issues. To quote Ino, the ‘Real Deal of Poisons.’

#genma shiranui #shiranui genma #tokubetsu jonins shenanigans #poisons #mother hen genma shiranui #also anon what made you think im sane? #I’m a fucking jonin #of course I’m not sane

[daisukitoo]

Many species have more or less a spite reaction to being eaten. Very few species gain an advantage from being eaten. It is not a recommended career path. A common evolutionary path is developing some form of penalty for eating them, from the famous but biologically expensive "be poisonous" to lower levels of "taste bad."

The giraffe and the acacia tree are famously engaged in biological warfare, and one of the tree's tools against this tall predator is to signal downwind branches to pull out the tannin reserves. This makes the leaves taste bad. Tragically for the tree, giraffes have learned to dodge this tactic by eating into the direction of the wind, but you do what you can when you are a tree. The smell of freshly cut grass is also feebly trying to kill you, as anyone with bad allergies will explain.

Animals have a similar tactic. Those chemicals that flood us during panic also taste bad. "Fight, flight, and/or not be worth eating," as it were. This is a known factor in meat production. Painless, efficient kills lead to better meat; letting a fish suffocate in the air is bad for the fish, both in the usual sense of "bad for the fish" and also for the quality of the meat one presumably plans to eat.

Some of these tactics have drawbacks. Caffeine, nicotine, and capsaicin are natural insecticides. If a coffee bean can get your heart pumping, imagine what it does to a bug. But it turns out that humans like mild neurotoxins, so those make the plants more attractive to us. That ends up being an evolutionary advantage when we farm them massively. The better their evolutionary programming tells them to deploy weapons and kill the predators, the more we say, "Mmmm, spicy," and keep breeding hotter peppers. Some other species have been noted to enjoy mild neurotoxins, but they rarely engage in industrial-scale agriculture.

So when you read a story with a vampire or demon who feeds on human suffering, this should make perfect sense. They just happen to be a species that likes the flavor of our panic chemicals, and their torture dens are like coffee shops. Hunting humans for sport is just a natural, organic method of farming their equivalent of nicotine.

#evolution #poisons #vampires #demons #grass #giraffes #spite #acacia trees

[francepittoresque]

22 février 1680 : l’empoisonneuse "la Voisin" est brûlée en place de Grève ➽ http://bit.ly/Empoisonneuse-LaVoisin Vers l’an 1677, une femme nommée "la Voisin", s’unit avec la Vigoureux, et un ecclésiastique nommé le Sage, pour trafiquer des poisons d’un Italien nommé Exili

#CeJourLà #22Février #Voisin #Empoisonneuse #Poisons #Condamnation #histoire #france #history #passé #past #français #french #news #événement #newsfromthepast

[earhartsease]

still enraged that the poison garden doesn't have its own little gift shop because gift is german for poison

#poisons