Kellett - Poison and Poisoning : A Compendium of Cases, Catastrophes and Crimes

Poison and Poisoning

A Compendium of Cases, Catastrophes and Crimes

Celia Kellett

Published by Accent Press Ltd 2012

ISBN 9781909335059

Copyright CeliaKellett 2009

The right of Celia Kellett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, The Old School, Upper High St, Bedlinog, Mid Glamorgan, CF46 6RY.

Cover Design by Red Dot Design

What to do in a case of suspected poisoning

Seek urgent medical attention

If needed, dial 999 for an ambulance or phone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47

Take the victim to Accident and Emergency or Primary Care at your nearest hospital

DO NOT make the victim sick

If the poisonous substance was swallowed, wipe the lips and mouth and remove any leftover substance

If the victim suffered a chemical burn, soothe the burn with milk or water

If the victim is unconscious, place him or her in the recovery position:on his side, but with one leg bent to support the body, so preventing him from rolling on to his front, and his uppermost hand placed under his chin, to support his head, which should be slightly tilted back this stops him swallowing his tongue, allows him to breathe and allows any fluid to drain out of the mouth

If breathing stops, use resuscitation but take care to protect yourself from poisoning

Get a sample of the poison to aid diagnosis

PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS SAYING how times have changed. But in the case of poison and poisoning, although few people can really be unaware of the danger of poisonous substances these days, still every year thousands are killed or made seriously ill by poison. Just like they were a century or even a millennium ago. Whatever happened to learning from our mistakes?

Socrates was put to death by a forced drink of hemlock; King Charles II was killed by his overzealous doctors; Napoleon was poisoned by his wallpaper ... These are just three of the many victims and their murderers that you will meet within the pages of this compendium of poisons and poisonings.

While most poisoning deaths are accidental, many victims are deliberately poisoned, and throughout recorded history, as this book will show, poison has been a favourite tool of murderers and assassins. Even in the 21st century, prisons worldwide still hold many murderers who used poison as their deadly weapon. Poisoning has the twin advantages for a killer of not requiring any direct physical violence and of there being a good chance that the crime will remain undetected. We know of course of many poisoners who have been detected and brought to justice, but how many have got away with it? We will never be sure.

While it is probably unlikely that you, the reader of this book, will be the victim of deliberate poisoning (unless you are very rich and extremely unpopular), there is no doubt that we are all, every day, at risk of becoming seriously ill, or dying, through contact with poison. Poisons are everywhere, as this book will demonstrate. Whether in the home or at work, in the countryside or in the sea, poisons pose a real threat to us.

To be fair, science has come a long way in learning the cause and treatment of a wide variety of poisons and poisonings, and many have been banned from use or assigned many precautions.

The purpose of this book is to clearly and accurately describe the many different kinds of poison that exist, what their effects are, how they can (sometimes) be treated and to show how, by design or by accident, they have led to the deaths of so many people.

Please note

This book is intended as a reference volume and informative guide for those wishing to know more about this fascinating subject. The author and publisher accept no liability for any claims arising from the use of this book and the information contained within it.

How this book is arranged

The contents are divided into sections and subdivided into chapters for ease of reference. There is a great deal of further information at the end of the book, and if you are looking for information about a specific poison (or poisoner) then you can find it by referring to the index on page 423. Many words are included in the glossary on page 387.

These are the sections to come:

Before getting too deep into detail, this chapter will give you a broad overview of poison and poisoning, including types of exposure, side effects and many wicked stories of past poisoners.

The poison basics: sources, symptoms and treatments

Well start with the sources of poison, covering mineral, vegetable, animal and man-made substances. These chapters will also explain how poisons work and the signs and symptoms of poisoning. A further source of poisoning medical conditions caused by deficiencies, or excesses, of substances needed for the normal functioning of the body will also be discussed, followed by a chapter on treatments.

The poison problems: at work and in the home

There are countless problems caused by specific poisonous substances, and we will discuss many of them here, from poisonous pigments and dangerous dyestuffs to occupational hazards, including fatal farming; from frightening foodstuffs to household horrors; from murderous make-up to the noxious nursery.

The ultimate poison legacy: catastrophes, accidents, murder and suicide

This chilling group of chapters covers the more gory details: catastrophes and accidents with poisons, intentional poisonings (including murder and warfare), self-inflicted poisonings, including abortion and, finally, suicide.

The poison penalties: uses, abuses and consequences

Delving even deeper, this final group of chapters begins with the medicinal uses of poisonous substances and the poisoning that results from misuse and abuse. Well also look at the lessons learned: medicines that have been restricted or withdrawn from use due to their unacceptable side effects. Finally, well discuss the legalities that affect or have affected the sale, supply and use of poisonous substances.

Further Information

For those readers who would like more detail, this final section includes a series of appendices that list the full names of the living species mentioned in the text and their poisons, more information on natural dyestuffs, a more detailed cellular-level explanation of how poisons actually work, effects of deficiency and excess of vitamins and minerals in the body and a lethal lexicon. Finally, there is a list of abbreviations, a glossary of medical terms, references for each chapter, a bibliography and a list of websites for further reading, followed by the index.

Be prepared to see the world in a totally different (and perhaps more paranoid!) light by the time youve finished reading about the fascinating world of poisons.

Chapter 1

POISONS ARE EVERYWHERE. THOUSANDS of people die every year from accidental poisoning caused by household products, wild plants, venomous creatures, occupational hazards and many more.

In a one-year period from 2005 to 2006, the United Kingdoms National Poisons Information Service, which supplies specialist information and advice on the treatment of poisoning to doctors, received 90,000 telephone calls, of which almost 10,000 related to poisoning by household products alone.

All substances can be poisons, but the right dose distinguishes a poison from a remedy. So said the physician Paracelsus nearly 500 years ago. Even water can be a poison if you drink enough of it. But, by poison, we usually mean a substance that causes serious bodily harm or ultimately death from just a very small quantity.