10. Castor beans
Given that castor oil is used as a food additive in sweets and chocolate, we are concerned to discover that the castor bean contained in the fruit of that plant contains the supertoxic poison ricin. A well-chewed bean can be fatal. However, only two Castor Bean deaths were reported between 1999 and 2004, according to figures from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPC).
9. Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade)
With a name meaning beautiful woman, belladonna plant extract was used as a beauty product during the Renaissance. When applied to the eyes, it dilates the pupils and gives women a wide-eyed look. This senseless and dangerous application of poison often leaves modern thinkers astonished at the folly of our ancestors. Modern belladonna poisoning is usually caused by some fool discovering that the leaves have hallucinogenic properties. This almost makes it reasonable to use belladonna for pupil dilation.
8. Fiddleback Spider Venom
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Less than half an inch long, the Fiddleback or Brown Recluse is one of the most venomous spiders in the world. Native to twenty-five states (mostly the South and Midwest), a Fiddleback bite is usually painless, but after eight hours the victim will be in agony. Due to advances in medical treatment, deaths are now rare. However, this spider is best avoided with a bite causing symptoms of vomiting, blisters, delirium and necrosis.
7. Pufferfish Poison
The poisonous part of the puffer fish is tetraodontoxin, which is found in its ovaries. According to experts, fish are generally harmless if gutted before cooking. The pufferfish used in Japanese gourmet fugu can only be cooked and prepared by specially trained and licensed chefs. Nevertheless, from 1955 to 1975, more than 1,500 deaths occurred as a result of eating improperly prepared fugu.
DOCTOR: Would you like fries with that?
6. Heroin
Heroin, a poison that affects the respiratory system, depresses the central nervous system, creating a feeling of euphoria. Even if you ignore the risk of HIV transmission from shared needles or the danger of contaminants getting into unregulated substances, the extreme death rate among heroin users (up to 20% higher than comparable groups of no users) makes it hard to understand the drug's appeal. Symptoms include seizures, blurred vision, low blood pressure, coma and death from respiratory failure.
VERDICT: Just say: NO.
5. Hemlock
Hemlock was supposedly the poison used to dispatch Socrates. While Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am," Socrates is meant to raise his glass of Hemlock and say, "I drink, therefore I do not drink." The highest concentration of toxic cicutoxin in water hemlock can be found in the root, and one bite of it can cause death in adults. Water Hemlock causes convulsions and death.
DOCTOR: Considered as a drink only when served with a side order of fugu and castor beans.
4. Snake venom
The toxicity of snakebites depends on many factors, ranging from the length of time since the snake's last bite to the level of danger the snake perceives in its victim. The most poisonous snakes are vipers, cobras and vipers. Symptoms of snakebite envenomation include swelling, organ failure, vomiting, bleeding from the eyes, nose, and gums, as well as obvious pain at the site of the snakebite.
Interestingly, more than three-quarters of snakebite victims are white men.
3. Arsenic
Historically, arsenic has been a killer's favorite choice, and it has always been one of the favorite devices used in murder mystery stories. In the UK it was available as an over-the-counter poison from chemists to help with rat infestations. Traces of arsenic are present in all human tissues, and it is the twentieth most abundant element. When used as a poison, symptoms are severe stomach upset, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.
VERDICT: Terrible poison, but it has the fun factor of having the word "arse" at the beginning of its name.
2. Strychnine
One of the most popular forms of poisoning in the early 20th century, strychnine attacks the central nervous system and causes exaggerated reflex responses. With the right dose, a victim could die within ten to twenty minutes—suffering from convulsions and death throes.
Strychnine was the murder weapon in Agatha Christie's first murder-mystery, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Although it is a fast-acting poison, effective treatments are now available, and it can only be seen as an effective murder weapon in fiction and very old murder mystery shows.
VERDICT: Cruel and indifferent. It almost makes the fiddler spider attractive.
1. Cyanide
Cyanide kills red blood cells by preventing them from absorbing oxygen. Cyanide capsules are believed to have been used by World War II spies as an easy escape to avoid the painful part of torture and death. Lizzie Borden, though more famous for her ax murders, found traces of cyanide in a sugar bowl in her family's home—suggesting that she had a backup plan in case forty strikes failed. When he had no negative effect, his enemies decided it was time to shoot him and drown him.
DOCTOR: CSI teams can detect cyanide poisoning without leaving the office or seeing the victim. However, due to its fictional form of poisoning and universal notoriety, cyanide deserves the number one position on this list.
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