h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Classical Poisons - A4037221
Author: Farlander with no K - Going blind and insane simultaneously - U206300

This was actually part of a bigger project called 'Classical Poisoning Homicide'; however, at the advice of other researchers, I've split it up into three sections. The other two may be found at:

A4037212
A4024612

Cheers,
Far.

"Mercury is a liquid metal"
'Mercury is a metal which is liquid at room temperature'

Eep! Thanks for catching that, Ooja.

I'm a Scout, it's my job

Hi Farlander

Great stuff, as ever.

Do you think curare should maybe make the list?
(or are you limiting this to European cultures?)

Pin

curare - Latin, 'to care for'.

As I remarked on the thread for your 'Classical Poisoners' entry, I'm not sure that 'classical' is the right term in your title, as it conjures up images of ancient Greece and Rome. Perhaps an alternate adjective could be employed?

Thank God for people with title ideas! The biggest problem I've ever had with entries is that I never know what to call 'em. Do you think 'Ancient Poisons' would work? Or maybe 'Classic Poisons'?

@Pinniped: Thanks for reading (again). Yeah, I was considering putting curare when I first started this thing, but I thought that if I were to include curare, that I would have to include poisonous mushrooms (for which I think there is already an entry) and other traditional tribal poisons as well . But I *think* (correct me if I'm wrong) that curare is mostly used as a hunting poison(?) and not so much a homicide one(?) and I couldn't find any famous homicide cases where curare was used as the murder weapon. If you know of any, though, maybe you could point me in the right direction, and I could slip it in.

I think 'Classic Poisons' is pretty spiffy, Farlander.

Are you planning something you're not telling us?

Great entry.

B

@Master B: Yeah, I'm joining forces with Paladin Press. Sorry, my little joke (but if you've heard of their little scandal, you'd know what I was referring to ).

...Nah, I actually wrote this 'cause I could never find articles on poison to link to every time I mentioned 'arsenic' and 'cyanide'. Thanks for reading!

@Echomike: Thanks! Interesting what the removal of two letters will do to a title...

No real comments on content again, just a few typos:

"fed her handmaid and oral dose" should be 'an oral dose'

"cooking destroys its poison alltogether" - altogether

"The average person ingests about 8 mg of arsenic daily" It would be interesting to know exactly what we are ingesting that contains arsenic.

Isn't it amazing what spellcheck fails to catch? Thanks for catching those! (Jim/Natalie... whoever that was ). Oh, and arsenic may be found in trace amounts in: crustaceans and fish, seaweed, contaminated water,fruits and vegetables grown in contaminated areas... actually, most food contain tiny quantities of it. The only thing is that a lot of it is the organic form, which is mostly harmless in quantities we take in.

"...what we are ingesting that contains arsenic"

Well, arsenic is ubiquitous in nature occuring in air (as volatiles), water, soils, rocks, plants, and animals in variable concentrations. It is, apparently, particularly concentrated in prawns.

It is the 20th most abundant element in Earth's crust and the 12th most abundant element in the biosphere. Hence humans world-wide are continuously exposed to low levels of arsenic, mostly through food, water, and air.

Arsenic typifies the tview of Paracelcus, either on this or another of Falander's threads, that "the definition of a poisonb is in its dose" for arsenic can be a deadly poison. However, at very low levels it is considered to be essential for health and is thus an ESSENTIAL element in our diet. If I recall correctly, it's required for the growth of fibrous tissue, and hence for growth in general.

Yeah, I also read that bit about it being essential for growth (in trace quantities) - the article had special emphasis for farm animals. I believe I mentioned Paracelsus and Taylor in 'A Brief History' .

(While we're talking about stuff that's good for you in trace quantities... well, there's always Vitamin A. Great in small doses, but it does the most *wicked* things in large quantities... Interestingly... did you know that hypervitaminosis A was *the* vital clue that this prehistoric female whose remains they found, I think in Asia, belonged to a *society*, rather than a jumble of pre-humans who happened to live together? The extent of her disease - her femur was like all warped and lumpy - showed that she would never have survived so long on her own without care from other individuals)

Well, it's vitamin A that makes polar bear liver highly toxic, if I recall correctly.

Right you are! In fact, that's how they deduced the diet of her people as well - that they were already meat eaters by that time - because her condition would have been brought about by the ingestion of animal liver. (not that there's any other kind, except for human ).

Hi there, Farlander!

Overall, another great entry! Thanks!

If you are so inclined, you might mention POTASSIUM FERROCYANIDE, and its uses, especially in photography.

Hey there, Fords - thanks! I'll go add that in.

Nice article, Farlander. I hope it gets accepted into the guide before my article on sherbet - I could link to it from the section on "humerous" additives.