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Toxin (Part 1).

Pertinax

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Several members of the Forum have a well developed (and probably deeply unhealthy) interest in a number of plant toxins used in the ancient world, (sometimes for medicine, other times for the removal of offensive relatives/political opponents).Here I offer a small guide to some common toxic principles (having previously blogged on the main toxic categories.

 

Aconite: two plants actually have this name (daisy and buttercup families respectivley), the name is used to refer to the alkaloid derived from the buttercup (monkshood/wolfbane).

 

Agaric: 1. a fairly harmless tree fungus 2.fly agaric a deadly mushroom

 

Alkaloid A nitrogen base compound (usually biologically active), an anti herbivore grazing "countermeasure" (includes morphine, nicotine, hyoscyamine,ephedrine, strychnine, atropene...good thing we arent herbivores)

 

Antimony Toxic heavy metal

 

Arsenic ditto, usually the oxide -used to be a common cosmetic, (a lot of dead husbands in Napoli ring a bell?).

 

Belladonna :atropine, overtaxes the cardio system.

 

Calabar bean: "ordeal bean" of Africa , a type of pea contains the deadly phyto stigmine.

 

Cantharides: aka Spanish Fly -provoker of uncontrollable lust and deadly poison: macerated pre-bruised beetle in chloroform (Pantagathus would you imagine anyone starting that formula from scratch? :pimp:

Weird City.

 

Cardiac glycosides: steroid compounds that damage heart and kidneys , another anti-ruminant countermeasure.

 

Colocynth :the bitter apple of Palestine , a specific for malaria but take care!

 

Cyanide: hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid) essentially stops oxygen transmission from the blood to the cells-hence proving fatal . Zyklon B was a derivitive.

 

only A to C so far -any fatalities in the Senate during Saturnalia and I will be most suspicious.

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Pantagathus
(Pantagathus would you imagine anyone starting that formula from scratch?)

uh yeah... I can see some poor proto-Iberian saying

 

"Dang, I'm hungy, maybe I'll just eat these bugs... WHOA! my ding-a-ling is all of a sudden really swollen! And all I want to do is stick it somewhere over & over! wait, I ain't felling so great..." :)

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Pertinax

Or maybe " I say old chap why dont you try some of this luminous beetle stew ive made ?"

"Thank you so much, excuse me I must see my wife about something, aaagghh..."

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Antiochus of Seleucia
Cyanide: hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid) essentially stops oxygen transmission from the blood to the cells-hence proving fatal . Zyklon B was a derivitive.

 

I was told that the cyanide molecules bond to mitochondria rendering them useless... you are no longer able to produce energy, and die of exhaustion. I'll go ask my chem teacher a second time. :)

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Pertinax

Yo, My Lord: :notworthy:

 

Spanish Fly? Better than *iagr*, Cialis and Levitra? :blink:

 

I wonder if my bride knows about arsenic! :stretcher: :sneaky2: :crutch:

 

:)

 

Better?-if your local Druid is a man of finesse, otherwise...

 

If she has a very pale face and ruby lips when enticing you into the nuptial chamber -kiss only the lips.

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Gaius Octavius

If she has a very pale face and ruby lips when enticing you into the nuptial chamber -kiss only the lips.

 

My Lord!!! :notworthy: My Lord!!! :ph34r:

 

I wouldn't touch that comment with a 10' pole! :no:

 

:lol:

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