Which poisons are the most effective? And which were among the most common and most feared? As far back as ancient times, poisons were used to carry out carefully planned murders of inconvenient people. They were often hidden in various foods or drinks. In this article, you will find an overview of the most interesting ones.
Table of contents
The fastest and most effective poisons
A poison is a chemical substance that causes serious health problems or even death. Poisons can have various origins and forms. They occur in nature, such as poisonous plants or animals, or they are man-made, such as chemicals produced in a laboratory.
Poisons can cause a range of problems, including cell damage, disrupted organ function or the blocking of important enzymes. Their effects depend on the type of poison and the dose to which the body is exposed. Some poisons act quickly and cause acute poisoning, while others have chronic effects when given over a long period.
Throughout history, people have used poisons in various ways, including for hunting, for defence and, in some cases, for murder. Today, poisons are better studied and regulated, and they are used in many fields, including pharmaceuticals and scientific research.
1. Cyanides
Cyanides are a group of poisonous chemical compounds containing hydrocyanic acid (CN-). These compounds are highly toxic to living organisms. In a high enough concentration, they quickly cause serious health problems or death.
Cyanides affect the body by preventing oxygen from passing from the blood into the tissues. Cyanide has a sweet smell of almonds, and the lethal dose is around 100 to 200 g. SS members used cyanide as a favoured method of suicide so that they would not reveal important information if captured. They kept a cyanide capsule in a hollow tooth, and once they bit into it, they had only a few minutes left. Swallowing it and the subsequent release of hydrogen cyanide in the stomach takes a few seconds, and loss of consciousness follows within a few minutes. This is followed by a coma that can last from a few minutes to several hours, after which the victim usually dies of cardiac arrest.
Among the best-known leaders who chose this type of suicide were Erwin Rommel (1944), Joseph Goebbels (1945) and Heinrich Himmler (1945).
Handling cyanides is dangerous and often illegal. The use of cyanides is strictly regulated because of their high toxicity and potential risks to the environment.
2. Batrachotoxin
Batrachotoxin is one of the most dangerous known poisons in the animal kingdom. It is found in some species of South American frogs of the poison dart frog family (Dendrobatidae).
Batrachotoxin is a chemical compound that affects the nervous system and muscle cells. It can block ion channels in nerve cells, which disrupts the transmission of nerve signals and paralyses the muscles. One of the key signs of batrachotoxin poisoning is the rapid onset of muscle spasms and paralysis, which leads to death.
Interestingly, the frogs do not produce the poison themselves. They take it from the beetles they eat, so in captivity they are not poisonous. These frogs are known for the striking colours of their skin, which contains the poison as a defence mechanism. Indigenous peoples in some parts of South America used this poison to coat the tips of arrows and darts they used for hunting. The poison first causes paralysis and soon afterwards death. No antidote is known yet, and death comes very quickly.
Batrachotoxin is extremely poisonous, and handling it is dangerous. The frogs that produce batrachotoxin are protected and are an important part of the ecosystems in which they live.
3. Botulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin is one of the most dangerous poisons in nature. It is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which makes botulinum toxin as a by-product of its metabolism. It causes serious poisoning in both humans and animals.
Botulinum toxin is one of the most potent neurotoxins, which means it affects the nervous system. It works by blocking the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the synapses between nerve cells and muscle cells. This results in muscle paralysis. Just one gram of botulinum toxin could kill 14,000 people (if swallowed) or as many as 8 million (by injection), and one kilogram would be enough to wipe out all of humanity.
Botulinum toxin poisoning can lead to a range of symptoms, including severe muscle weakness, paralysis, breathing difficulties and, in the worst case, death. Because botulinum toxin is so extremely poisonous, treating the poisoning requires immediate medical attention and specific antitoxin treatment.
Even though botulinum toxin is poisonous, it is also used in the pharmaceutical industry to treat certain health problems. For example, a small amount of botulinum toxin can be used to temporarily smooth out wrinkles in a cosmetic procedure known as “Botox”.
Importantly, botulinum toxin must only be administered by a qualified doctor and only for medical purposes. Handling this poison outside a medical setting can be very dangerous.
4. Polonium
Polonium is a radioactive element that is very rare and occurs naturally in small amounts in uranium ores. It was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie-Skłodowska and her husband Pierre Curie.
Polonium is extremely radioactive, which means that its nuclei decay spontaneously and release ionising radiation. This radiation is very harmful to living organisms and damages cells and tissues, which leads to various health problems, including cancer.
A famous case of polonium poisoning was the murder of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium-210, one of the radioactive forms of polonium. The poisoning caused an international uproar and led to diplomatic disputes between Russia and the United Kingdom.
Because polonium is extremely radioactive and dangerous to health, handling it is strictly regulated and carried out under controlled laboratory conditions. Polonium is also used in some industrial applications, for example in static eliminators and discharge lamps.
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5. VX
VX is one of the most dangerous poisonous substances in the world. It can quickly enter the body through the skin, mucous membranes or breathing. Even a very small amount of VX can cause death.
VX works as an inhibitor of the enzyme cholinesterase, a key enzyme that regulates the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the nervous system. Blocking this enzyme causes acetylcholine to build up excessively at the synapses between nerve and muscle cells, which leads to uncontrolled muscle contractions, paralysis and breathing difficulties.
Symptoms of VX poisoning include muscle weakness, drooling, breathing difficulties, nausea, vomiting, confusion and loss of consciousness. VX poisoning can lead to death as a result of respiratory failure.
VX was developed for military purposes and was part of some countries’ arsenals during the Cold War. Today, its production and use are banned internationally under the Chemical Weapons Convention (Úmluva o zákazu chemických zbraní).
6. Castor oil
Ricin is an extremely poisonous substance that comes from a plant called Ricinus communis (the castor oil plant). The castor oil plant has various uses, including the production of castor oil.
Ricin is one of the most powerful poisons of natural origin. It is a protein that acts as an enzyme and can damage cells and organs in the body. A single gram of ricin could kill a person.
This poison blocks protein synthesis in cells by disrupting the process of translating genetic information from RNA into proteins. This prevents cells from producing important proteins, which ultimately leads to cell death.
The poisoning starts with mild symptoms that resemble flu. Later come headaches, a burning sensation in the mouth, vomiting, diarrhoea, intestinal colic and internal bleeding. Death is caused by severe damage to the liver, kidneys and spleen.
7. Thallium
This element was only discovered in the 1860s, and although it was used to kill “pests” (in some countries it was sold as rat poison), it was also widely used as a means of murder. It is ideal for this purpose. Thallium sulphate dissolves in water and has no taste. What’s more, symptoms only appear in victims after several days, and even then they are usually put down to other illnesses. This makes it hard to work out afterwards when and where the victim swallowed the thallium. This poison was used by Saddam Hussein’s secret police and the Russian KGB.
8. Strychnine
It can be obtained from the seeds of the nux vomica tree, which grows in South-East Asia. As trade with the Far East flourished, this poison became widely available in the West as well. It was regarded as a tonic, and doctors prescribed it in small doses to aid recovery. It was also widely used for poisoning rats and other animals (like the other poisons in this article), so it was easy to obtain. Although it has been cited and proven in only a handful of domestic murders, its easy availability suggests it may have been used in many undiscovered murders throughout history.
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Poisons are complex and multifaceted substances that have various effects on living organisms. Throughout history, many poisons have been used for hunting, defence and healing. However, in the modern world, poisons are often regulated for reasons of safety and public health.
Studying poisons and how they work is crucial for scientific research, pharmacology and the treatment of poisoning. It helps us better understand their effects on the human body and develop medicines and treatments for poisoning victims.
