Powerful poison. The most powerful poison: period of action and consequences. Crystal Eyes is the best remedy for restoring vision at any age

Poison is a very popular means of killing in literature. Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes books have developed readers' love for fast-acting, untraceable poisons. But poisons are common not only in the literature, there are real cases of using poisons. Here are a dozen known poisons that have been used to kill people for a long time.

10. Hemlock Hemlock, also known as Omega, is a highly toxic flower native to Europe and South Africa. It was very popular with 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 soon the respiratory system fails. The most famous case of poisoning with this poison is the death of the Greek philosopher Socrates. In 399 BC, he was sentenced to death for disrespect for the Greek gods - the sentence was carried out with the help of a concentrated infusion of Hemlock.

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

8. Belladonna
This is the favorite poison among girls! Even the name of the plant from which it is obtained comes from the Italian language and means "Beautiful Woman". Initially, the plant was 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 were rubbed a little on their cheeks, it would give them a reddish tint, which is now achieved with the help of blush. It seems that the plant is not very scary? In fact, if taken internally, even one leaf can be lethal, which is why it has been used to make poisonous arrowheads. Belladonna berries are the most dangerous - 10 attractive berries can be fatal.

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

6. Tetrodotoxin (Tetrodotoxin)
This substance is found in marine creatures - blue-ringed octopus (blue-ringed octopus) and pufferfish (fugu). The octopus is more dangerous, as it deliberately poisons the victim with this poison, from which death occurs 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 they have been bitten when paralysis sets in. Pufferfish are only dangerous if you intend to eat them. If the puffer fish dish is cooked 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. The most famous case of polonium poisoning is the murder of former KGB-FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko. Remains of polonium were found in his body at a dose 200 times greater than necessary for a fatal outcome. He died within three weeks.

4. Mercury
There are three very dangerous types of mercury. Elemental mercury can be found in glass thermometers. It is harmless to the touch, but fatal if inhaled. Inorganic mercury is used in the manufacture of batteries and is only lethal if ingested. Organic mercury is found in fish such as tuna and swordfish (you can not eat more than 170 grams of their meat per week). If you eat these types of fish for too long, the harmful substance can 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 the books of Agatha Christie. Cyanide is very popular (spies use cyanide pills to kill themselves if captured) and there are many reasons for its popularity. First of all: a huge number of substances serve as a source of cyanide - almonds, apple seeds, apricot pit, tobacco smoke, insecticides, pesticides, etc. The murder in this case can be explained by a domestic accident, such as accidental ingestion of a pesticide. A fatal dose of cyanide is 1.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Second, cyanide kills quickly. Depending on the dose, death occurs within 15 minutes. Cyanide in the form of a gas (hydrogen cyanide) was used by Nazi Germany in gas chambers during the Holocaust.

2. Botulinum toxin (Botulinum Toxin)
If you've read the Sherlock Holmes books, you've heard of this poison. Botulinum toxin causes botulism, a disease that is fatal if left untreated. 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 used in Botox injections.

1. ArsenicArsenic is called the "King of Poisons" for its invisibility 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, which can be used to 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.

Any toxic substances, whether chemical or vegetable, pose a serious danger to the body. Science knows dozens and hundreds of the strongest poisons, many of which are used by man himself, and far from being for good deeds - this is terrorism, and genocide, and much more. But there were also times when poisons were considered medicines. One way or another, toxic substances are still subjected to active research in laboratories. What is the most powerful poison in the world?

Cyanide

Cyanides are a class of harmful potent substances that are dangerous to humans. Their toxicity is explained by the instantaneous effect on the respiratory functions of cells, which, in turn, stops the work of the whole organism. Cells stop functioning, organs fail. All this leads to a severe condition, fraught with death. Cyanide itself is a derivative of hydrocyanic acid.

Externally, cyanide is a white powder with a crystalline structure. It is rather unstable and dissolves well in water. We are talking about the most famous form - potassium cyanide, and there is also sodium cyanide, which is also quite toxic. The poison is obtained not only in the laboratory, but also extracted from plants. It is important to know that some foods may contain this substance in small amounts. The danger is fraught with almonds, fruit seeds. But poisoning is cumulative.

Cyanide is often used in industrial production - in particular, the production of paper, some fabrics, plastics, as well as in reagents for photo development. In metallurgy, cyanide is used to purify metals from impurities; and in the grain stores they destroy rodents with means based on this poison. The lethal dose of the most dangerous poison in the world is 0.1 mg / l, and death occurs within an hour. If the number is greater, then after ten minutes. First, a person loses consciousness, then stops breathing, and then the heart stops.

For the first time this substance was isolated by the German chemist Bunsen, and in 1845 manufacturing methods were developed on an industrial scale.

Anthrax spores

These substances are the causative agents of an extremely dangerous infectious disease, most often ending in death. At risk of catching Bacillus Anthracis are people who come into contact with agricultural livestock. Spores can be stored for a very long time in the land of the animal burial ground.

The disease has been killing people for many centuries, especially in the Middle Ages. And only in the 19th century, Louis Pasteur managed to create a vaccine against it. He studied the resistance of animals to poisons by injecting them with a weakened strain of the ulcer, as a result of which immunity was developed. In 2010, US scientists created an even more effective vaccine against the disease.

Anthrax spores are found in all secretions of a sick animal, falling with them into water and earth. Thus, they can spread hundreds of kilometers from the source of infection. In African countries, insects that drink blood can also become infected with poison. Incubation ranges from several hours to seven days. The poison causes irreparable damage to blood vessels, causing swelling, loss of sensitivity, inflammation. Carbuncles begin to appear on the skin; especially dangerous if they occur on the face. Subsequently, a host of other unpleasant symptoms can occur, from diarrhea to bloody vomiting. Often at the end of the patient waiting for a fatal outcome.

The disease caused by anthrax spores develops extremely rapidly and gives terrible external and internal lesions.

Many residents of Russia remember this name from school life safety lessons. One of the most poisonous substances on Earth since 1991 has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction. And it was discovered in 1938 by a chemical company in Germany and from the very beginning was intended for military purposes.

Under normal conditions, Sarin is an odorless liquid that evaporates quickly. Since it cannot be smelled, poisoning can only be guessed when symptoms appear.

Moreover, poisoning occurs both through inhalation of steam, and through contact with the skin or ingestion into the oral cavity.

Sarin binds certain enzymes, in particular protein, so that it can no longer support nerve fibers.

A mild degree of poisoning is expressed in shortness of breath and weakness. With an average - there is a narrowing of the pupils, lacrimation, severe headache, nausea, trembling of the extremities. If you do not provide timely assistance, then death occurs in 100% of cases, but even if assistance is provided, then every second poisoned person dies. The severe degree is characterized by the same symptoms as the average, but they are more pronounced and progress faster. Vomiting opens, spontaneous excretion of feces and urine, a headache of incredible strength appears. A minute later, a person faints, five minutes later he dies from damage to the respiratory center.

Sarin was not used in World War II due to Hitler's prejudice against poison gases.

Amatoxin

This is the most powerful poison of those that are independently produced in nature, it is more powerful than the poison of any snake. It is mainly found in white toadstools and, when ingested, affects the kidneys and liver, and then gradually kills all cells over several days.

The poison is very insidious: the first symptoms appear only after 12 hours, and sometimes up to a day. Of course, gastric lavage is then too late, you need to call an ambulance. Within two days, traces of amatoxin can be detected in the urine test. Activated charcoal and cephalosporin can also help the patient, and in especially difficult cases, one has to resort to a liver transplant. But even after the cure, the patient may still suffer from heart, kidney and liver failure for a long time.

A large dose of penicillin is used as an antidote; if it is not introduced, then a person dies on average per week

It is a poison of plant origin, most often used in the persecution of small rodents. It has been produced in the laboratory since 1818, extracting from the seeds of the African chilibukha plant. Strychnine is mentioned in many detective novels, where characters die from exposure to this substance. One of the properties of strychnine is also played up: at the very beginning, it causes a sharp and powerful surge of strength by blocking some neurotransmitters.

The substance is used in the manufacture of medicines, but preparations containing strychnine nitrate are prescribed only in the most extreme cases. Indirect indications for use may be neurological diseases in which nerve impulses are inhibited; poor appetite; impotence; severe forms of alcoholism that cannot be cured by other methods.

Symptoms of poisoning with this poison are similar to the primary symptoms of tetanus. These are difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing, fear of light and convulsions.

A dose of 1 milligram per 1 kilogram of body weight leads to a lethal outcome.

The first information about mercury came to us from the depths of time, it is mentioned in documents from 350 BC, and archaeological excavations have found even more ancient traces. The metal was widely used and continues to be used in medicine, art, and industry. Its vapors are extremely toxic, and poisoning can be both instantaneous and cumulative. First of all, the nervous system is harmed, and then the rest of the body systems.

The initial symptoms of mercury poisoning are trembling of the fingers and eyelids, later - of all parts of the body. Then there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract, insomnia, headache, vomiting, memory impairment. In case of poisoning by vapors, and not by mercury compounds, the respiratory tract is initially noticed. If exposure to the substance is not stopped in a timely manner, it can lead to death.

The consequences of mercury poisoning can be inherited

Most often, a person encounters mercury from a thermometer, especially if it is broken. But not everyone knows exactly how to act in this situation. First you need to quickly collect all the parts of the thermometer and the balls of mercury. This must be done as carefully as possible, because the remaining particles can cause irreparable harm to residents, especially children and animals. This is done with rubber gloves. In hard-to-reach places, you can collect mercury with a syringe or patch. Put everything collected in a tightly closed container.

The next step is a thorough treatment of the premises, which is also carried out with gloves (already new) and a medical mask. A highly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate is suitable for processing. Wipe absolutely all surfaces in the house with this solution using a rag. Fill any gaps, cracks and other depressions with mortar. It is advisable to leave everything in this form for at least a day. For the next few days, ventilate the room daily.

You can call specialists who will make sure that there is no mercury and its vapors in the house if the thermometer is broken

Tetrodotoxin

The most effective defense mechanisms of those with which nature endowed living beings are neurotoxins. These are substances that specifically damage the nervous system. Tetrodotoxin is perhaps the most dangerous and unusual of them. It is found in a variety of both terrestrial and aquatic animals. The substance tightly blocks the channels of nerve cells, which causes muscle paralysis.

The most common poison was poisoned in Japan by eating fugu fish. It is surprising that today this fish is still used in cooking and is considered a delicacy - however, you need to know what parts are there and in what season to catch fish. Poisoning occurs extremely quickly, in some cases as early as six hours. It begins with a slight tingling of the lips and tongue, followed by vomiting and weakness, after which the patient falls into a coma. Effective emergency measures of assistance have not yet been developed. Only artificial respiration can prolong life, because before death, breathing first stops, and only after a while the heartbeat stops.

Tetrodotoxin has been studied for many years, but not all the details about it have been revealed yet.

The poisons described above have an extremely harmful effect on animal organisms, so extreme care must be taken when handling them. It is better if professionals do this.

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

Paradoxically: the human body is almost 70% water, but even water in large quantities is 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 any case it is quite dangerous. It smells like bitter almonds, and in just a few minutes, it leads to symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, as well as weakness. If measures are not taken in time, cyanide kills by depriving the cells of the body of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don't worry if you eat a few. It takes about ten apples to eat before enough cyanide builds up in your body to feel all of the above. Please don't do this.

24. Hydrofluoric acid (Hydrofluoric acid)

Hydrofluoric acid is a poison used, among other things, for the production of Teflon. In a 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 is manifested immediately, which increases the likelihood of causing serious damage to health.

Arsenic is a natural crystalline semi-metal and perhaps one of the most famous and widespread poisons used as a murder weapon in the late 19th century. However, its use for such purposes began in the mid-1700s. The action of arsenic lasts from several hours to several days, but the result is the same - death. The symptoms of poisoning are 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 highly poisonous herb (flower) with a romantic history. An alkaloid called atropine makes it poisonous. Absolutely the entire plant is poisonous, though to varying degrees: the root contains the most poison, and the berries contain less. However, even two pieces are enough to kill a child. Some people use belladonna to relax as a hallucinogen, and in Victorian times, women would often drop a tincture of belladonna into their eyes to make their pupils dilate and 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 the reason carbon monoxide is so dangerous is that it is difficult to detect; sometimes referred to as the "silent killer". This substance prevents oxygen from entering the body for the normal functioning of cells. The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to flu without a fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea, and confusion. Fortunately, a carbon monoxide detector 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 or Beach Apple tree has small green fruits that look like sweet apples. Don't eat them! And don't touch that tree! Do not sit next to it and pray that you will never be under it in windy weather. If the juice gets on your skin, it will blister, and if it gets in your eyes, you may go blind. The juice is found in the leaves and in the bark, so don't touch them!

Fluorine is a highly poisonous, pale yellow gas that is corrosive and will react with just about anything. For fluorine to be lethal, its concentration of 0.000025% is sufficient. It causes blindness and suffocation, like mustard gas, but its effect is much worse for 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 odorless and tasteless deadly 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 another whole year.

The most dangerous man-made poison is called dioxin - it takes only 50 micrograms to kill an adult. It is the third most toxic poison known to science, 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 Wetterhahn in 1996. A single drop of a colorless liquid fell on the gloved hand, and that was it. Symptoms began to appear FOUR MONTHS later, and she died six months later.

15. Aconite (Wrestler)

Aconite (Wrestler) also known as "monk's hood", "wolfsbane", "leopard venom", "women's curse", "devil's helmet", "poison queen", and "blue rocket". This is practically a whole genus, including more than 250 herbs, most of which are extremely poisonous. Flowers can be either blue or yellow. Some of the plants have been used not only in folk medicine, but also as murder weapons over the past decade.

The toxin found in poisonous mushrooms is called amatoxin. It acts on liver and kidney cells and kills them within a few days. May affect the heart and central nervous system. There is a treatment, but the result is not guaranteed. The poison is resistant to temperature and cannot be disposed of by drying. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure that the collected mushrooms are safe, do not eat them.

Anthrax is actually a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacterium as it is the toxin it produces when it enters the body. Bacillus Anthracis can enter the system through the skin, mouth or respiratory tract. The death rate from 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 execution in ancient Greece. Several varieties exist, with water hemlock being the most common plant in North America. You can die if you eat it, despite this, people still add hemlock to salad, considering it an acceptable ingredient. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, convulsions and tremors. Having experienced the full power of the white-headed, but surviving people, they may subsequently suffer from amnesia. The water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Keep an eye on small children and even teenagers when they are walking outside! Do not eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe.

11. Strychnine

Strychnine is commonly used to kill small mammals and birds and is often the main ingredient in rat poison. In large doses, strychnine is also dangerous for humans. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or taken into the body through the skin. The first symptoms are painful muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting. Muscle contractions eventually lead to suffocation. Death can occur within half an hour. This is a very unpleasant way to die, for both man and rat.

Most versed in such matters consider mitotoxin to be the most powerful marine toxin. It is found in the dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic of the non-protein toxins.

Mercury is a heavy metal, quite toxic to humans if inhaled or touched. Touching can cause skin to flake off, and if you inhale mercury vapor, it will eventually turn off your central nervous system, and you will be fatal. Before that, 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. According to one theory, a gram of polonium 210 introduced into the body. can kill up to ten million people, causing first radiation poisoning and then cancer.

The 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 has often been used as a "test of innocence" in Madagascar. An estimated 3,000 people a year died from consuming Cerberus venom before the practice was outlawed in 1861. (If a person survived, he was found not guilty. 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 the neck to help with a migraine) that causes muscle paralysis.

5 Pufferfish

Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries, where it is called Fugu; it is a dish for which few are literally ready to die. Why does death come? Because fish contain tetrodotoxin in their guts, and in Japan, about 5 people a year die from eating pufferfish as a result of improper preparation. But gourmets persist.

4. Gas Sarin

Gas Zarin makes you experience the worst moments in your life. The chest shrinks, tighter and tighter, and then... death comes. Although the use of Sarin was declared illegal in 1995, it has not ceased to be used in terrorist attacks.

3. Poison Arrow

The Poison Arrow golden frog is tiny, adorable and very dangerous. Just one thumb-sized frog 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 tribes in the Amazon used poison by applying it to the tips of their hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow kills within a few minutes! Walking in the Amazon forests, follow 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 of it is enough to kill an adult human.

1.VX

Code-named "Purple Possum", belonging to the VX group, it is the most powerful nerve gas on Earth. It was created by man, and for this you can "thank" the United Kingdom. Technically, it was banned in 1993, and the US government allegedly ordered the destruction of its stocks, but whether this is actually the case can only be guessed at.

Poisons have been used from ancient times to the present as a weapon, antidote, and even medicine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, double vision, weakness of the facial muscles, speech defects, difficulty swallowing other. The bacterium can enter the body through food (usually poorly preserved foods) and through open wounds.

2. Poison ricin

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

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

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

3. Sarin gas

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

A person can become poisoned by sarin through inhalation or exposure of the gas to the eyes and skin. Initially, symptoms such as runny nose and tightness in the chest, breathing is difficult and nausea occurs.

The person then loses control of all body functions and falls into a coma, with convulsions and spasms until suffocation occurs.

4. Tetrodotoxin

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

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

Every year, several people are known to die of agonizing death from tetrodotoxin poisoning after consuming fugu.

5. Potassium cyanide

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

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

6. Mercury and mercury poisoning

There are three forms of mercury that can be potentially hazardous: elemental, inorganic, and organic. elemental mercury, which found in mercury thermometers, old fillings and fluorescent lights, non-toxic when touched, but may be lethal if inhaled.

Inhalation of mercury vapor (the metal quickly turns into a gas at room temperature) affects lungs and brain shutting down the central nervous system.

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

7. Strychnine and strychnine poisoning

Strychnine is a white, bitter, odorless crystalline powder that can be ingested, inhaled, in solution, and administered intravenously.

It is received from the seeds of the chilibukha tree(Strychnos nux-vomica), native to India and southeast Asia. While it is often used as a pesticide, it can also be found in drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

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

8. Arsenic and arsenic poisoning

Arsenic, which is the 33rd element in the periodic table, has long been synonymous with poison. It has often been used as a favorite poison in political assassinations, as arsenic poisoning resembled cholera symptoms.

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

9. Poison curare

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

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

10. Batrachotoxin

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

The frogs themselves do not produce poison, it accumulates from the foods they consume, mostly small bugs. The most dangerous content of the poison was found in a species of frog terrible leaf climber living in Colombia.

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

Often people think of poisons as a myth from Shakespeare's dramas, or torn from the pages of Agatha Christie's novels. But in fact, poison can be found everywhere: in cute little bottles under the kitchen sink, in our drinking water, and even in our blood. Below are ten of the most subtle poisons in the world, some of them exotic, others frighteningly everyday.

10. Hydrogen Cyanide

Despite the terrible stigma attached to cyanide, its history is rich and fruitful. Some scientists even believe that cyanide may have been one of the chemicals that helped form life on earth. Today it is better known as the lethal substance, the active ingredient in Zyklon-B, which the Nazis used to exterminate Jews in showers. Cyanide is a chemical used as capital punishment in the gas chambers of the United States. Those who have come into contact with this substance describe its smell as similar to that of sweet almonds. Cyanide kills by binding to the iron in our blood cells and destroying them, rendering them unable to carry oxygen throughout the body. Most states in the US have stopped using the gas chamber, as this type of death penalty is considered unnecessarily cruel. Death can take several minutes and is often terrifying to watch, as the condemned writhe in agony and salivate profusely as the body tries to prevent death.

9. Hydrofluoric or Hydrofluoric acid(Hydrofluoric acid)


Hydrofluoric acid is used in a number of industries such as metallurgy and even in the manufacture of Teflon. There are far more powerful acids in the world than hydrofluoric acid, but few of them are as dangerous to humans. In gaseous form, it can easily burn out eyes and lungs, but in liquid form, it is especially insidious. Initially, upon contact with human skin, it is completely imperceptible. Due to the fact that it does not cause pain on contact, people can get seriously poisoned without noticing it. It passes through the skin into the bloodstream, where it reacts with calcium in the body. In the worst cases, it seeps through the tissue and destroys the bone underneath.

8. Batrachotoxin


Fortunately for most of us, our chance of encountering batrachotoxin is incredibly small. Batrachotoxin is one of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world and is found in the skin of tiny poison dart frogs. The frogs themselves do not produce poison, it is produced in their bodies from the food they eat, most likely from eating tiny beetles. There are several different versions of the poison depending on the type of frog, the most dangerous is the type of batrachotoxin produced by the Colombian frog called the terrible leafcreeper. This frog is so tiny that it can fit on the tip of your finger, but the venom on the skin of one frog is enough to kill about two dozen people, or a couple of elephants. The toxin attacks the nerves, opening their sodium channels and causing paralysis, essentially shutting down the entire body's ability to communicate with itself. There is no antidote in the world, and death comes very quickly.

7. Nerve gas VX (VX Nerve Gas)


Banned from use by the Chemical Weapons Convention (the world's reserves of this gas are gradually declining), VX nerve gas is considered the most powerful nerve gas in the world. The danger of this gas, discovered quite by accident in 1952 during the chemical testing of organophosphates, was quickly discovered. Mass marketed as a pesticide called "Amiton", it was soon taken off the market due to its too great a danger to society. It soon attracted the attention of world governments, as it was a time of political turmoil in the Cold War, and the gas was being stockpiled for potential war use. Luckily no one started a war and the VX was never used in combat. A cultist from the Japanese group Aum Shinriyko stole some of this gas and used it to kill a person - this was the only known human death caused by VX gas. The gas stops the production of enzymes in the nerves, leaving the nerves in a state of constant activity, creating a "storm" in the nervous system that quickly overloads and destroys the body.

6 Agent Orange


Almost everyone has heard of the defoliant Agent Orange, created by Dow Chemical and Monsanto (which are considered the most malicious corporations in the world). Agent Orange was used during the Vietnam War to uproot trees that were hiding places for enemy soldiers and to destroy crops in the countryside. Unfortunately, in addition to the plant-killing agent, the herbicides contained a chemical dioxin called TCDD (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), a known carcinogen that causes a significant increase in the risk of cancer, especially lymphoma, in those who are exposed to it. In addition, tens of thousands of Vietnamese children were born stillborn or with birth defects such as cleft palate, extra fingers and toes, and mental retardation. Vietnam remains very polluted to this day.

5. Ricin


Derived from the castor beans, ricin is one of the deadliest poisons. A small dose, a volume comparable to a few grains of salt, is enough to kill an adult. The venom stops the production of proteins the body needs to survive, causing victims to go into shock. Because of its uncomplicated manufacturing process, ricin has been weaponized by many governments around the world, and has been used at least once to kill dissident Bulgarian writer Georgi Markov in 1978 with ricin pellets shot on a London street. It is believed that the Bulgarian secret police and/or the KGB were responsible for the murder.

4. Arsenic (Arsenic)


Arsenic metalloid has been used for centuries for everything from weapons to cosmetics during the Victorian era (when morbid pallor was considered the fashion of the ladies). During the Dark Ages, arsenic became a popular poison for assassins due to its effect - arsenic poisoning is similar in symptoms to cholera, which was widespread in those days. Arsenic attacks adenosine triphosphatase in human cells, cutting off the energy supply. Arsenic is a very unpleasant substance which, in high concentrations, can cause various types of gastrointestinal disturbances with bloody discharges, convulsions, coma and death. In small amounts taken on a regular basis (for example, through arsenic-contaminated water), arsenic causes a range of diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

3. Lead


Lead is one of the very first metals used by man. Its first smelting was made 8,000 years ago. However, its dangerous effects on the body only became known decades ago - lead affects every organ in the human body, so lead poisoning manifests itself through a range of symptoms, from diarrhea to mental retardation. Children are especially at risk of poisoning - lead exposure to the fetus causes pathological neurological disorders. Strangest of all, many forensic scientists believe that the worldwide decline in violent crime is at least partly the result of increased restrictions on the use of lead. Children born after 1980 were much less exposed to lead and, as a result, are less prone to violence.

2. Brodifacoum


Immediately after the end of World War II, the poison warfarin began to be used as a rodenticide (and interestingly enough, it was also used as an anticoagulant for people with bleeding disorders). But rats are known for their ability to survive at all costs, and over time, many of them developed resistance to warfarin. Therefore, he was replaced by brodifacoum. An extremely lethal anticoagulant, brodifacoum lowers the amount of vitamin K in the blood. Due to the fact that vitamin K is necessary for the process of blood clotting, the body is exposed to severe internal bleeding over time, as blood is spilled throughout the body from the rupture of tiny capillaries. Brodifacoum, sold under brands such as Havoc, Talon, and Jaguar, must be handled with great care as it easily penetrates the skin and remains in the body for many months.

1. Strychnine


Derived primarily from a tree called the chilibuha, which is native to India and southeast Asia, strychnine is an alkaloid and is used as a pesticide, especially in rodent control. Death caused by strychnine poisoning is terribly painful. Being a neurotoxin, strychnine attacks the spinal nerves, causing spasms and violent muscle contractions. Oskar Dirlewanger, the Nazi commander of the SS during World War II, injected his prisoners with strychnine and amused himself by stroking the way they writhe. Strychnine is one of the few substances on this list that is both cheap and available on the market. It's possible that strychnine is sold at your local hardware store under a name like "Rodent Killer" or something like that.