When talking about poisons, one cannot fail to mention the famous phrase of Paracelsus “everything is poison, everything is medicine”. Indeed, even the usual product in excessive quantities can adversely affect the body. But there are substances that can have a toxic effect even in a negligible dose. To determine their toxicity, the concept of "MLD" was introduced. This is the minimum lethal dose that can cause the death of a person weighing 70 kg. According to this concept, the strongest poison can be determined.
Since poisons, by their origin, are organic and inorganic, it would be wrong to compare them with each other in strength. Each of these groups has the most toxic members.
Organic poisons include all those that are excreted by animals, plants or bacteria. In terms of strength, they are superior to inorganic ones and often do not have antidotes. You need to be extremely careful in those areas where the possibility of a collision with sources of organic poisons is inevitable. To date, the list of leaders that emit strong poison includes:
- Pale grebe is the most dangerous mushroom of the fly agaric genus. For severe poisoning, it is enough to eat ¼ of the mushroom. The insidiousness of its toxins lies in the fact that poisoningdoes not appear immediately, but at this time there is an irreparable destruction of the body, most often leading to death.
- Castor oil is a plant from the Euphorbiaceae family, grown as a medicinal plant in Asia and Africa. The seeds contain a toxic substance that dissolves red blood cells even in small doses. Survivors after poisoning do not restore their previous he alth, as the poison irreversibly destroys tissue proteins.
- Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. The most dangerous toxin has no taste, color, smell and multiplies in canned foods. Causes death from respiratory and cardiac paralysis.
Many believe that the king cobra, which lives in the forests of Southeast Asia, has the strongest poison. Usually the amount of poison in one bite is twice the lethal dose. 15 minutes after the attack of a cobra, paralysis of the respiratory muscles and respiratory arrest occurs.
Toxicologists and those who are familiar with marine life know that the blue-ringed octopus, an inhabitant of Australian waters, has the strongest poison. Its toxins are stronger than cobra venom and cause death by bite within a minute. The salivary glands of this octopus contain two toxins at once, acting on the nervous and muscular systems. Death occurs as a result of paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
Similar poison has a dog fish that lives in the seas of Southeast Asia. Despite the toxicity, dishes are prepared from it. With improper processing of fish, the poison is nervouslyparalytic action enters the human body, leads to convulsions and then to death.
Inorganic poisons are metal s alts, alkalis, acids and their derivatives. Their poisoning is weaker, moreover, there are antidotes for the most powerful poisons of inorganic origin.
Pesticide parathion, when inhaled and even in contact with the skin, causes severe poisoning, leading to excessive stimulation of the nervous system. Symptoms are profuse sweating and salivation, headache, vomiting, watery eyes.
Carbon tetrachloride is a caustic liquid used as a cleaner. If inhaled, it affects the heart, kidneys and liver.
Potassium cyanide is the strongest poison in its group. When it enters the body, the cells stop absorbing oxygen, interstitial hypoxia leads to death.
