‘The potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit’: Poisons John H. Parker, Ph.D. Lipscomb University - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: ‘The potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit’: Poisons John H. Parker, Ph.D. Lipscomb University


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The potent poison quite oercrows my spirit
PoisonsJohn H. Parker, Ph.D.Lipscomb University
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Poisons in Romeo and Juliet
Juliets sleep atropa belladonna or mandragora
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Atropa Belladona
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The foliage and berries are extremely toxic,
containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins
include scopolamine and hyoscyamine which cause a
bizarre delirium and hallucinations,1 and are
also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics. The
drug atropine is derived from the plant. The
symptoms of belladonna poisoning include dilated
pupils, sensitivity to light, blurred vision,
tachycardia, loss of balance, staggering,
headache, rash, flushing, dry mouth and throat,
slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation,
confusion, hallucinations, delirium, and
convulsions. The plant's deadly symptoms are
caused by atropine's disruption of the
parasympathetic nervous system's ability to
regulate involuntary activities such as sweating,
breathing, and heart rate. The antidote for
belladonna poisoning is physostigmine or
pilocarpine, the same as for atropine.
Wikipedia.com
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Mandgragora
Mandrake is the common name for members of the
plant genus Mandragora belonging to the
nightshades family (Solanaceae). Because mandrake
contains deliriant hallucinogenic tropane
alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine,
apoatropine, hyoscyamine and the roots sometimes
contain bifurcations causing them to resemble
human figures, their roots have long been used in
magic rituals, today also in neopagan religions
such as Wicca and Germanic revivalism religions
such as Odinism.
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Romeo and Juliets death potassium cyanide
Apothecary put this in any liquid thing you
will, And drink it off, and if you had the
strength Of twenty men, it would dispatch you
straight. Act V, Scene i. 77-79
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Romeo and Juliets death potassium cyanide
Cyanide makes the cells of an organism unable to
use oxygen, primarily through the inhibition of
cytochrome c oxidase. Inhalation of high
concentrations of cyanide causes a coma with
seizures, apnea, and cardiac arrest, with death
following in a matter of minutes Cyanide, in the
form of pure liquid prussic acid (a historical
name for hydrogen cyanide), was a favored suicide
agent of the Third Reich. It was used to commit
suicide by Erwin Rommel (1944), after being
accused of conspiring against Hitler Adolf
Hitler's wife, Eva Braun (1945) and by Nazi
leaders Joseph Goebbels (1945), Heinrich Himmler
(1945), possibly Martin Bormann (1945), and
Hermann Göring (1946). Adolf Hitler himself bit a
cyanide capsule while simultaneously firing his
pistol into his right temple (1945).
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Poisons in Hamlet 1. Ear of Hamlets Father
henbane
It was historically used in combination with
other plants, such as mandrake, deadly
nightshade, and datura as an anaesthetic potion,
as well as for its psychoactive properties in
"magic brews." These psychoactive properties
include visual hallucinations and a sensation of
flight. Its usage was originally in continental
Europe, Asia and the Arabic world, though it did
spread to England in the Middle Ages. The use of
Henbane by the ancient Greeks was documented by
Pliny. The plant, recorded as Herba Apollinaris,
was used to yield oracles by the priestesses of
Apollo. Henbane can be toxic, even fatal, to
animals in low doses, and incidents of poisoning
people are also reported. Hyoscyamine,
scopolamine, and other tropane alkaloids have
been found in the foliage and seeds of the plant.
Common effects of henbane ingestion in humans
include hallucinations, dilated pupils,
restlessness, and flushed skin. Less common
symptoms such as tachycardia, convulsions,
vomiting, hypertension, hyperpyrexia and ataxia
have all been noted.
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Henbane or Hyposcyamus niger
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2. Sword and Drink Poisons for Hamlet, Laertes
and Gertrude Aconitum
Marked symptoms may appear almost immediately,
usually not later than one hour, and "with large
doses death is almost instantaneous." Death
usually occurs within 2 to 6 hours in fatal
poisoning (20 to 40 mL of tincture may prove
fatal). The initial signs are gastrointestinal
including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. There
is followed by a sensation of burning, tingling,
and numbness in the mouth and face, and of
burning in the abdomen. In severe poisonings
pronounced motor weakness occurs and cutaneous
sensations of tingling and numbness spread to the
limbs. Cardiovascular features include
hypotension, bradycardia, sinus tachycardia, and
ventricular arrhythmias. Other features may
include sweating, dizziness, difficulty in
breathing, headache, and confusion. The main
causes of death are ventricular arrhythmias and
asystole, paralysis of the heart or of the
respiratory center. The only post-mortem signs
are those of asphyxia.
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Aconitum or Wolfsbane
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Aconitum callibotryon
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Aconitum
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Other Famous Poisons Asp venom
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Snake venom consists of proteins, enzymes,
substances with a cytotoxic effect, neurotoxins
and coagulants. Phosphodiesterases are used to
interfere with the prey's cardiac system, mainly
to lower the blood pressure. Phospholipase A2
causes hemolysis by lysing the phospholipid cell
membranes of red blood cells.3 Snake venom
inhibits cholinesterase to make the prey lose
muscle control. Hyaluronidase increases tissue
permeability to increase the rate that other
enzymes are absorbed into the prey's
tissues. Amino acid oxidases and proteases are
used for digestion. Amino acid oxidase also
triggers some other enzymes and is responsible
for the yellow color of the venom of some
species. Snake venom often contains ATPase, an
enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of ATP to
ADP and a free phosphate ion, or to AMP and
diphosphate.45
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Conium contains the pyridine alkaloids coniine,
N-methylconiine, conhydrine, pseudoconhydrine and
?-coniceine (or g-coniceïne), which is the
precursor of the other hemlock alkaloids. The
most important and toxic of these is coniine,
which has a chemical structure similar to
nicotine. Coniine is a neurotoxin, which disrupts
the workings of the central nervous system and is
toxic to humans and all classes of livestock.
Ingestion in any quantity can result in
respiratory collapse and death. Coniine causes
death by blocking the neuromuscular junction in a
manner similar to curare this results in an
ascending muscular paralysis with eventual
paralysis of the respiratory muscles which
results in death due to lack of oxygen to the
heart and brain. Death can be prevented by
artificial ventilation until the effects have
worn off 4872 hours later. For an adult the
ingestion of more than 100 mg of coniine
(approximately 6 to 8 fresh leaves, or a smaller
dose of the seeds or root) may be fatal.
Hemlock Think Socrates