Poisons

Question 1

Theriaca

Answer 1

From the Greek ‘theriakon’ meaning remedies for venomous bites

Question 2

Nero

Answer 2

poisons his stepbrother to gain the throne

Question 3

Mithridates Eupator

Answer 3

King of Pontus (on the Black Sea)
Is extremely paranoid of being poisoned
Mithridates takes small doses of the herbal poison/antidote to make himself immune

Question 4

Mithridatism

Answer 4

acquired tolerance to poisons

Question 5

Aconitine

Answer 5

Aconitum napellus

Question 6

Arrow Toxins:

Answer 6

Alkaloids and cardiac glycosides
contain water soluble mixture of cardiac poison and muscle paralyzing poison

Question 7

Charles Waterton (1820s)

Answer 7

Revived a donkey dead from curare poisoning by artificial ventilation using a bellows

Question 8

Claude Bernard (1850s)

Answer 8

French physiologist
Shows that curare preparations block transmission of nerve impulses in frogs
Death is caused because the chest and abdominal muscles become paralyzed

Question 9

Richard Gill

Answer 9

Brings back 30 pounds of curare and lobbies drug companies

Question 10

Curare

Answer 10

competitive antagonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Question 11

Physostigmine

Answer 11

Physostigma venenosum

Question 12

Inky Cap Mushrooms

Answer 12

Coprinus atramentarius

Question 13

Death cap mushroom

Answer 13

Amanita phalloides

Question 14

Destroying angel

Answer 14

Amanita virosa