Many people believe that poisons are a relic of the past or even a mystical

phenomenon. They exist only in historical stories, in terrible myths about kings
and frightening fairy tales. Nevertheless, poisons are all around us: they are
present in our drinking water, in the air and even in our blood. Among the various
poisonous substances we can find even those that can poison a person in a matter of
minutes.

Some poisons are part of plants or are present in the bodies of animals, fish, or
other living things. But certain toxic substances originated through human efforts.

Today people know many dangerous and insidious poisons that have been repeatedly
used for terrorist purposes and for contract murders. It is not easy to decide
which substance should be called the "strongest", because the degree of influence
and the final result depends on many factors. However, a general idea of them is
quite realistic. Therefore, we present 10 of the most ruthless poisons, which were
created by nature or in the course of laboratory research.
1. Botulinum toxin

Many experts agree that botulinum toxin may well be considered the most dangerous
poison on Earth. All it takes is a small vial of this substance to take the lives
of hundreds of thousands of healthy people. Botulinum bacteria usually breed in
sausages and canned goods. The most favorable environment is canned fish, meat, and
fried mushrooms. This toxin causes botulism, a disease that paralyzes the entire
nervous system. Death eventually occurs from lack of air through paralysis of the
heart, asphyxia of the respiratory tract and muscles. The unpredictable and
variable nature of botulinum toxin makes it the most terrifying and deadly poison
in the world. That said, botulinum toxin is often used in cosmetology. Everyone is
familiar with the now popular Botox "youth" injections. In addition, this substance
can be used against migraine.
2. Ricin

This substance causes death in almost all cases. It is six times more poisonous
than potassium cyanide. Also ricin has almost superseded the terrible "anthrax" now
it is often sent by mail. It is referred to natural poisons due to the fact that it
is extracted from the fruit of the castor bean. Poison poisoning of a person is
possible by injecting it into the bloodstream or by entering the body through the
lungs. Even a few grains of this odorless white powder, which dissolves well in
water, can cause death. If ricin is inhaled, then the first signs of poisoning are
detected only after 8 hours. In this case, the person feels a severe headache,
fever, sweating, nausea and vomiting. After a few days or even earlier, death
occurs.
3. VX

The most dangerous substance of chemical origin, used by the army in many countries
despite its special status and numerous bans. A former pesticide, totally
unsuitable for any purpose other than destroying people. It is a highly toxic nerve
gas, which upon skin contact activates the symptoms of poisoning: from slight
nausea to paralysis, hallucinations and demise.
4. Sarin gas

The most dangerous nerve gas discovered by German scientists was first invented as
a strong pesticide. Today sarin is considered to be a chemical weapon of the most
powerful spectrum of action. It affects the nervous system and causes suffocation
in terrible convulsions in one minute. In 50-ies of XX century it was produced in
USA and USSR for military purposes. In the 70s it was secretly produced by Chilean
scientists for Augusto Pinochet's secret police. In addition, Iraq used sarin in
the 1988 war against Iran to poison people. It was not until 1993 that the UN
banned the production of this gas. Nevertheless, later there were many cases of
mass use of sarin in terrorist and chemical attacks. The most famous case is the
use of the poison gas by Aum Senrikyo in the Tokyo subway attack in Japan in 1995.
5. Tetrodotoxin

A strong natural poison known to be found in the body of the Fugu fish. In Japan,
the meat of this fish is considered a delicacy. But to make the dish safe for
humans, it must be properly prepared. With such a complex and responsible task can
not every chef. In addition, tetrodotoxin can be found in the caviar of the
Californian newt, blue-ringed octopus, some goby fish, certain types of crabs, etc.
If this poison neuroparalytic action has penetrated the body, then the first signs
of poisoning will appear after 30 minutes, and death comes no later than 4-6 hours.
However, there have been cases where death occurred after only 17 minutes. In the
early days of research, tetrodotoxin was used as an anesthetic for leprosy and
tumors. Modern scientists have conducted clinical trials on the use of this
substance as an anesthetic for cancer patients, but the results have been very
mixed.
6. Mercury

You thought right, this is the mercury found in medical thermometers. It is

considered a heavy metal that is particularly toxic to the human body. Mercury
vapor has a devastating effect on the nervous system, kidneys, and brain, which
leads to death. Nevertheless, the ancient Greeks and Romans, knowing the dangers of
the substance, used it to refine gold. One of the biggest deaths from mercury
occurred in Japan in 1956. About 3,000 residents of the city of Minamata suffered
or died from the effects of the poison.
7. Strychnine

A deadly poison in the form of a white powder that is obtained from the seeds of
the tropical chilibukha tree, which grows in South Asia, Australia, and Africa.
Often used to poison small animals. Even minimal amounts of the toxic substance are
dangerous to humans, either through inhalation or ingestion. Human poisoning in
this case has the following symptoms: convulsions, nervous seizures, muscle
contraction and vomiting. After 30 minutes the victim dies. Surprisingly enough,
strychnine is used in modern medicine. On its basis, tonic drugs are made,
prescribed to patients with rapid fatigue, slowed metabolic processes and weakened
heart activity.
8. Arsenic

The most famous and popular poison among book villains. This is due to the fact
that the symptoms of poisoning with this substance resemble the signs of cholera,
so it is easy to disguise the crimes committed as a disease. If a large amount of
arsenic is taken, a coma and premature death can be expected. However, the ancient
Chinese believed that arsenic had beneficial properties. Doctors used it to treat
psoriasis and syphilis. Until the mid-50s of the twentieth century, this substance
was used as a cure for cancer.
9. Amatoxin

It is of natural origin because it is bred from toxic mushrooms. The most famous of
these is the pale grebe, often mistaken by inexperienced mushroom hunters for
mushrooms, russets or greens. This poison is capable of poison a personThe
patient's heart, liver, and kidneys are affected. Lethal outcome is possible after
a few days. A large amount of penicillin is used as an antidote in such a case.
10. Cyanide

Widely known poison, which is highly fast-acting. Penetrating into the body, it
paralyzes the nervous system, causes enormous damage to the heart and circulatory
system, and cuts off the flow of oxygen to the cells. As a result, the person dies
in a few minutes. It was often used in ancient times and even relatively recently
as a means of execution of criminals. Curiously enough, cyanide has a deadly effect
on humans, while it has practically no effect on ordinary hedgehogs.