Everyone wonders what the most deadly poisons they hear on the news can actually do to the human body. After watching several documentaries, I wanted to write an article about Top 10 Most Deadly Poisons Known to Mankind and expand on the aftereffects.
This article would not be a real top 10 article without proper research. No Wikipedia was used, just books, scholarly journals and other resources (i.e. newspapers, magazines etc.)
1. Cyanide:
Cyanide is a mitochondrial toxin that is among the fastest lethal poisons known to mankind. Used in both ancient and modern times as a method of execution, cyanide causes death within minutes to hours of exposure, just look at Hitler for example. Though significant cyanide poisoning is uncommon, it must be recognized quickly to ensure prompt and proper administration of life-saving treatment.
2. Arsenic:
Arsenic, element 33 on the Mendeleev chart, has a long and wicked history; its very name has become tantamount with poison. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Italian family of Borgias used arsenic as their favorite poison for political assassinations. Some even have suggested that Napoleon was poisoned by arsenic-tainted wine given to him while he was in exile.
The metal was described as the instrumental agent in an epidemic of food-borne illness after a church gathering in which the coffee urn was apparently criminally polluted with arsenic. This highlights the need for an index of suspicion when multiple individuals present to an emergency department temporally related and with similar symptoms and conditions.
Arsenic is indeed considered a heavy metal and shares many toxic characteristics with the other heavy metals, like lead and mercury. Arsenic is also omnipresent in the environment. It ranks 20th in abundance in the earth’s crust, 14th in seawater, and 12th in the human body.
3. Zyklon B
Zyklon B was used in Germany before and during the World War II for fumigation and pest extermination on ships and inside buildings and machinery. In the Auschwitz concentration camp, it was initially used solely for the purposes of sanitation and pest control until the summer of 1941. After the end of August 1941, Zyklon was used in the camp, first experimentally and then routinely, as an agent of mass annihilation. Zyklon B contained diatomite, in the form of granules the size of fine peas, saturated with prussic acid. In view of its volatility and the associated risk of accidental poisoning, it was supplied to the camp in sealed metal canisters.
BAYER used to be a much bigger German chemical company, IG Farben. IG Farben operated in the Auschwitz death camp where it used prison labor in the production of synthetic rubber and oil. However, their most ghastly act was in the sale of Zyklon B – the poison used in the Nazi gas chambers. During the Nuremburg trials, 24 IG Farben executives were indicted and charged with 5 counts including “slavery and mass murder.” 25,000 of the 35,000 slave laborers who worked for IG Farben at Auschwitz died there.
4. Anthrax:
Cutaneous exposure to this poison can kill, but the most lethal, panic-driven form of anthrax is inhaled. It starts as a flu and does not get better and then all of the sudden your respiratory system collapses.
Anthrax is produced by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. This bacterium is most commonly found in agricultural regions because it occurs principally in animals. The most commonly affected areas include South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
When anthrax affects humans, it is usually due to an occupational exposure to infected animals or their products. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products from other countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with B. anthracis (industrial anthrax).
5. Sulfur Mustard:
This chemical warfare agent is a class of related cytotoxic and vesicant chemical warfare agents with the ability to form huge blisters on the exposed skin and in the lungs. Scientists Wilhelm Lommel and Wilhelm Steinkopf, developed a method during WWI for large scale production of mustard gas for the Imperial German Army. The consequence of usage is worse than death.
Warfarin is basically used to kill rats and mice. However, it is also found in such medicines that are helpful in preventing the formation of large blood clots. This medicine is very popular in North America as it is not only effective but also gets rid of the problem much faster than any other pill.
Cone snails can either be very large or medium-sized, depending on where they are found. These snails are predatory and quite sophisticated, as far as snails go. The snail releases its venom which contains neurotoxins. If a human gets stung by this snail, he will be in pain for a long time but studies show that the venom should replace morphine in the coming years because not only is it an effective pain-reliever but it is not addictive at all.
Wolfsbane is a flower which releases a deadly poison called nabee, bikh or bish. However, when it is used in medication, it has the ability to slow down the pulse and calm those suffering from heart palpitations. Not only that, but it can also get rid of laryngitis, quinsy, cold and asthma within a short period of time.
Digitalis is a flower which contains certain steroidal glycosides and is also known as Dead Man’s Bells. The plant is so poisonous that if you happen to nibble at it, you will die almost instantly. The interesting part is that the plant is used to make medicines that help to control very fast heart rate and atrial fibrillation.
The Copperhead is a patient snake which will wait for hours and trick its prey into thinking that it is harmless. Usually, it stays away from humans but if they happen to step on them by mistake, they will not hesitate to inject their venom into them. The venom contains something called Contortrostatin which has the ability to stop the growth rate of cancer cells.
