1 history Flashcards
why is toxicology not new?
-poison arrow frogs
-rotenone
-poisonings
what does rotenone do to fish?
-effective at killing fish
-absorbed over gills
-limited toxicity to man
-plant roots pulverized in water
-all gill breathing animals are paralyzed or killed
-fish are safe to eat
why does rotenone affect gill breathing animals more?
-mildly toxic to humans other mammals but extremely toxic to insects and aquatic life, including fish
-this higher toxicity in fish and insects is because rotenone is easily taken up through the gills or trachea, but not as easily through the skin or gastrointestinal tract
-effective uptake is as important as actual toxicity
what is rotenone used for today?
-significant current use
-remove of pest species (everything)
-fish sampling
-measuring fish populations
-insecticidal uses are being phased out
what is derris dust?
-used in vegetable gardens
-making a comeback as a ‘natural’ insecticide
what was poisonings like in the ancient world?
-the earliest recorded instance of poisoning the wells of a besieged city was in 590 BC. Athens poisoned the water supply of kirrha, near, delphi, greece, with the poisonous plant hellebore and annihilated the incapacitated inhabitants
-the same plant was used by the roman general Aquilius in 129 BC, to annihilate rebellious towns in Asia Minor. In both cases, the tactic killed civilians as well as combatants
what were poison arrows?
-snake venom can be crystallized and remain viable on arrow points
-“scythicon”, the arrow drug created by the ancient scythians of the central asia went beyond mere venom
-it was a nasty concoction of putrefied Caucasian vipers, dung and blood
-just a scratch from one of these projectiles would be lethal, dealing instant death from the venom or fatal infection with gangrene and tetanus
what was the sweet temptation?
-in 65 BC and unusual poison ‘created’ by bees was wielded against the roman army of pompey by mithradats of pontus (northern turkey)
-the enemy placed wild honeycombs along ponpey’s route. The starving soldiers feasted on the honey- reeling and babbling, they collapsed en masse, wracked by diarrhea and vomiting
-the enemy slaughtered over 1000 men paralyzed by the naturally occurring neurotoxin (grayanotoxin) produced by rhodedendrons plants from which the bees made the honey
what was the goal of early ‘toxicologists’?
-focus on killing people and things
-striving for ‘undetectable’ poisons
-few formal written texts
-some overly toxic elements such as arsenic were known
-however, subtle effects of chronic toxic exposures such as those to lead were not yet understood
who was paracelsus?
1493-1541
-father of modern toxicology
-all things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes that a thing is not a poison
-The dose makes the poison
what is devonshire colic?
-afflicted people in devon during the 17th and 18th centuries before it was discovered to be lead poisoning
-symptoms began with severe abdominal pains and the condition was occasionally fatal
-the precise cause was not discovered until the 1760s when Dr George Baker put forward the hypothesis that poisoning from lead in cider was to blame
-he observed that the symptoms of the colic were similar to those of lead poisoning
-lead was used in the cider making the symptoms of the colic were similar to those of lead poisoning
-he also conducted chemical tests to demonstrate the presence of lead in devon apple juice
what was baker’s conclusion on devonshire colic ?
-baker’s results met with hostile reactions from cider manufacturers, keen to defend their product
-once baker’s conclusions became accepted, lead was eliminated from the cider presses and the colic declined
-by 1818, baker’s son reported that it was “hardly known to exist” in devon
what is an example of a strange medicine?
-fowler’s solution, is a 1% solution of potassium arsenite, KH2AsO3
-introduced in 1786
-it was prescribed in the united states until the late 1950s for a range of ailments including malaria, chorea and syphilis
-in 2001, the US FDA approved a drug of arsenic trioxide to treat acute promyelocytic leukameia, interest in arsenic as returned
what are some things from the past used as historical remedies?
-wolfbane
-bryonin (40 berries lethal to man)
-arsenic
-strychnine
-poison ivy
-belladonna
what was the arsenic act?
-was passed in the UK in 1851
-arsenic compounds were widely used as pigments and in agricultural products such as sheep treatments
-the act was introduced to address increasing public concern over accidental and deliberate arsenic poisonings
-the act required those selling such products to maintain a written, signed record of those to whom it was sold, including the quantity and its stated purpose
the max penaly for breathing the act, or providing false information was 20 pounds (30,000$ in 2016)
-first formal regulation of a toxic agent
