Strychnine poisoning
Encyclopedia
Strychnine
poisoning can be fatal to humans and other animals and can occur by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through eyes or mouth. It produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known toxic reaction. For this reason, strychnine poisoning is often portrayed in literature and film.
s begin to spasm, starting with the head and neck in the form of trismus
and risus sardonicus
. The spasms then spread to every muscle in the body, with nearly continuous convulsions, and get worse at the slightest stimulus. The convulsions progress, increasing in intensity and frequency until the backbone arches continually. Convulsions lead to lactic acidosis
, hyperthermia
and rhabdomyolysis
. These are followed by postictal
depression. Death comes from asphyxiation caused by paralysis of the neural pathways that control breathing, or by exhaustion from the convulsions. The subject dies within 2–3 hours after exposure.
One medical student in 1896 described the experience in a letter to the Lancet
:
infusion which serves to absorb any poison within the digestive tract that has not yet been absorbed into the blood. Anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital
or diazepam
are administered to control convulsions, along with muscle relaxants such as dantrolene
to combat muscle rigidity. If the patient survives past 24 hours, recovery is probable.
The treatment for strychnine poisoning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was to administer tannic acid
which precipitates the strychnine as an insoluble tannate salt, and then to anaesthetise
the patient with chloroform
until the effects of the strychnine had worn off.
s and mole
s) and coyote
s. Rodent baits are commonly available over-the-counter, but coyote baits are illegal in the United States. However, since 1990 in the United States most baits containing strychnine have been replaced with zinc phosphide
baits. The most common domestic animal to be affected is the dog
, either through accidental ingestion or intentional poisoning. An approximate lethal dose for a dog is 0.75 mg per kg
body weight.
The onset of symptoms is 10 to 120 minutes after ingestion. Symptoms include seizure
s, a "sawhorse
" stance, and opisthotonus
(rigid extension of all four limbs). Death is usually secondary to respiratory paralysis. Treatment is by detoxification using activated charcoal, pentobarbital
for the symptoms, and artificial respiration
for apnea
.
In most western nations a special license is needed to use and possess strychnine for agricultural use.
Strychnine
Strychnine is a highly toxic , colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia or sheer exhaustion...
poisoning can be fatal to humans and other animals and can occur by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through eyes or mouth. It produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known toxic reaction. For this reason, strychnine poisoning is often portrayed in literature and film.
Presentation in humans
Ten to twenty minutes after exposure, the body's muscleMuscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s begin to spasm, starting with the head and neck in the form of trismus
Trismus
-Common causes:*Pericoronitis is the most common cause of trismus.*Inflammation of muscles of mastication. It is a frequent sequel to surgical removal of mandibular third molars . The condition is usually resolved on its own in 10–14 days, during which time eating and oral hygiene are compromised...
and risus sardonicus
Risus sardonicus
Risus sardonicus is a highly characteristic, abnormal, sustained spasm of the facial muscles that appears to produce grinning.The name of the condition derives from the appearance of raised eyebrows and an open "grin" - which can appear malevolent to the lay observer - displayed by those suffering...
. The spasms then spread to every muscle in the body, with nearly continuous convulsions, and get worse at the slightest stimulus. The convulsions progress, increasing in intensity and frequency until the backbone arches continually. Convulsions lead to lactic acidosis
Lactic acidosis
Lactic acidosis is a physiological condition characterized by low pH in body tissues and blood accompanied by the buildup of lactate especially D-lactate, and is considered a distinct form of metabolic acidosis. The condition typically occurs when cells receive too little oxygen , for example...
, hyperthermia
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
and rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly. Breakdown products of damaged muscle cells are released into the bloodstream; some of these, such as the protein myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure...
. These are followed by postictal
Postictal state
The postictal state is the altered state of consciousness that a person enters after experiencing a seizure. It usually lasts between 5 and 30 minutes, but sometimes longer in the case of larger or more severe seizures and is characterized by drowsiness, confusion, nausea, hypertension, headache or...
depression. Death comes from asphyxiation caused by paralysis of the neural pathways that control breathing, or by exhaustion from the convulsions. The subject dies within 2–3 hours after exposure.
One medical student in 1896 described the experience in a letter to the Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
:
Three years ago I was reading for an examination,
and feeling "run down". I took 10 minims of strychnia
solution (B.P.) with the same quantity of dilute phosphoric acidPhosphoric acidPhosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid, is a mineral acid having the chemical formula H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a more general way...
well diluted twice a day. On the second day of taking
it, towards the evening, I felt a tightness in the "facial
muscles " and a peculiar metallic taste in the mouth. There was
great uneasiness and restlessness, and I felt a desire to walk
about and do something rather than sit still and read.
I lay on the bed and the calf muscles began to stiffen and
jerk. My toes drew up under my feet, and as I moved or
turned my head flashes of light kept darting across my eyes..
I then knew something serious was developing, so I crawled
off the bed and scrambled to a case in my room and got out
(fortunately) the bromide of potassiumPotassium bromidePotassium bromide is a salt, widely used as an anticonvulsant and a sedative in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with over-the-counter use extending to 1975 in the United States. Its action is due to the bromide ion...
and the chloralChloralChloral, also known as trichloroacetaldehyde, is the organic compound with the formula Cl3CCHO. This aldehyde is a colourless oily liquid that is soluble in a wide range of solvents...
. I
had no confidence or courage to weigh them, so I guessed
the quantity-about 30 gr. bromide of potassium and 10 gr.
chloral-put them in a tumbler with some water, and drank
it off. My whole body was in a cold sweat, with anginous
attacks in the precordial regionPrecordiumIn anatomy, the precordium is the portion of the body over the heart and lower chest.Precordial chest pain can be an indication of a variety of illnesses, including costochondritis and viral pericarditis....
, and a feeling of "going
off." I did not call for medical aid, as I thought the symptoms
declining. I felt better, but my lower limbs.
were as cold as ice and the calf muscles kept tense and,
jerking. There was no opisthotonos, only a slight stiffness
at the back of the neck. Half an hour later, as I could
judge, I took the same quantity of bromide of potassium
and chloral, and a little time after I lost consciousness and
fell into a " profound sleep," awaking in the morning with
no unpleasant symptoms, no headache, &c., but a desire " to
be on the move " and a slight feeling of stiffness in the jaw.
These worked off during the day.
Treatment
There is no specific antidote for strychnine. Treatment of strychnine poisoning involves an oral application of an activated charcoalActivated carbon
Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, activated coal or carbo activatus, is a form of carbon that has been processed to make it extremely porous and thus to have a very large surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions.The word activated in the name is sometimes replaced...
infusion which serves to absorb any poison within the digestive tract that has not yet been absorbed into the blood. Anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital
Phenobarbital
Phenobarbital or phenobarbitone is a barbiturate, first marketed as Luminal by Friedr. Bayer et comp. It is the most widely used anticonvulsant worldwide, and the oldest still commonly used. It also has sedative and hypnotic properties but, as with other barbiturates, has been superseded by the...
or diazepam
Diazepam
Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche is a benzodiazepine drug. Diazepam is also marketed in Australia as Antenex. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms , restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal,...
are administered to control convulsions, along with muscle relaxants such as dantrolene
Dantrolene
Dantrolene sodium is a muscle relaxant that acts by abolishing excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells, probably by action on the ryanodine receptor. It is the only specific and effective treatment for malignant hyperthermia, a rare, life-threatening disorder triggered by general anesthesia...
to combat muscle rigidity. If the patient survives past 24 hours, recovery is probable.
The treatment for strychnine poisoning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was to administer tannic acid
Tannic acid
Tannic acid is a specific commercial form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure...
which precipitates the strychnine as an insoluble tannate salt, and then to anaesthetise
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
the patient with chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
until the effects of the strychnine had worn off.
Detection in biological specimens
Strychnine is easily quantitated in body fluids and tissues using instrumental methods in order to confirm a diagnosis of poisoning in hospitalized victims or to assist in the forensic investigation of a case of fatal overdosage. The concentrations in blood or urine of those with symptoms are often in the 1–30 mg/L range.Strychnine toxicity in animals
Strychnine poisoning in animals occurs usually from ingestion of baits designed for use against rodents (especially gopherGopher (animal)
The term gopher as it is commonly used does not relate to any one species, but is a generic term used to describe any of several small burrowing rodents endemic to North America, including the pocket gopher , also called true gophers, and the ground squirrel , including Richardson's ground squirrel...
s and mole
Mole (animal)
Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible ears and eyes; and short, powerful limbs with large paws oriented for digging. The term is especially and most properly used for the true moles, those of the Talpidae family in the...
s) and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s. Rodent baits are commonly available over-the-counter, but coyote baits are illegal in the United States. However, since 1990 in the United States most baits containing strychnine have been replaced with zinc phosphide
Zinc phosphide
Zinc phosphide is an inorganic chemical compound.- Reactions :Zinc phosphide can be prepared by the reaction of zinc with phosphorus:Zinc phosphide will react with water to produce phosphine and zinc hydroxide :-Rodenticide:...
baits. The most common domestic animal to be affected is the dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, either through accidental ingestion or intentional poisoning. An approximate lethal dose for a dog is 0.75 mg per kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
body weight.
The onset of symptoms is 10 to 120 minutes after ingestion. Symptoms include seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s, a "sawhorse
Sawhorse
A sawhorse is a beam with four legs used to support a board or plank for sawing. A pair of sawhorses can support a plank, forming a scaffold. In certain circles, it is also known as a mule.The sawhorse may be designed to fold for storage...
" stance, and opisthotonus
Opisthotonus
Opisthotonus or opisthotonos, from Greek roots, opistho meaning "behind" and tonos meaning "tension", is a state of a severe hyperextension and spasticity in which an individual's head, neck and spinal column enter into a complete "bridging" or "arching" position...
(rigid extension of all four limbs). Death is usually secondary to respiratory paralysis. Treatment is by detoxification using activated charcoal, pentobarbital
Pentobarbital
Pentobarbital is a short-acting barbiturate that was first synthesized in 1928. Pentobarbital is available as both a free acid and a sodium salt, the former of which is only slightly soluble in water and ethanol....
for the symptoms, and artificial respiration
Artificial respiration
Artificial respiration is the act of assisting or stimulating respiration, a metabolic process referring to the overall exchange of gases in the body by pulmonary ventilation, external respiration, and internal respiration...
for apnea
Apnea
Apnea, apnoea, or apnœa is a term for suspension of external breathing. During apnea there is no movement of the muscles of respiration and the volume of the lungs initially remains unchanged...
.
In most western nations a special license is needed to use and possess strychnine for agricultural use.
Notable strychnine poisonings
- Strychnine poisoning (in contaminated wine) is one of the theories concerning the death of Alexander the Great.
- Strychnine was used in several of the murders committed by serial killer Thomas Neill CreamThomas Neill CreamDr. Thomas Neill Cream , also known as the Lambeth Poisoner, was a Scottish-born serial killer, who claimed his first proven victims in the United States and the rest in England, and possibly others in Canada and Scotland...
, who poisoned prostitutes on the streets of London. - Famous Delta BluesDelta bluesThe Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
legend Robert Johnson's whiskey bottle was laced with strychnine, resulting in pneumonia. - A childhood friend of Vincent Van GoghVincent van GoghVincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, Margot Begemann, attempted suicide by ingestion of strychnine. - Belle GunnessBelle GunnessBelle Sorenson Gunness was a Norwegian-American serial killer....
of La Porte, Indiana, also known as Lady Bluebeard, reportedly used strychnine to murder her victims at the turn of the 20th century. - Hannes Hirtzberger, Mayor of Spitz in Lower Austria was reported to have been poisoned by Helmut Osberger, a local wine producer.
- Jane StanfordJane StanfordJane Stanford was the co-founder of Stanford University with her husband, Leland Stanford, whom she wed in 1850. She was the daughter of a shopkeeper and lived on Washington Avenue in Albany, New York, before her marriage...
, co founder of Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
may have died from strychnine poisoning. - A woman in San Diego, California was a victim of strychnine poisoning in 1990 at the hands of her husband, who had dialed 911 but hung up the telephone without leaving his name or address. Persistence on the part of the dispatcher and the rescue workers allowed them to locate and extract the victim, but she eventually died in the hospital.
Fictional strychnine poisonings
- Mrs. Emily Inglethorp in Agatha ChristieAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's The Mysterious Affair at StylesThe Mysterious Affair at StylesThe Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by Agatha Christie. It was written in 1916 and was first published by John Lane in the United States in October 1920 and in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head on January 21, 1921. The U.S... - Inmates in the popular TV series The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
were given heroin doses laced with strychnine. - Norman Bates' mother and her lover were killed with strychnine in Alfred HitchcockAlfred HitchcockSir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's Psycho. The sheriff comments: "Ugly way to die." - Chief Constable Riddle's daughter, Emily was killed with an accidentally lethal case of strychnine-laced cocaine in Peter RobinsonPeter Robinson (novelist)Dr. Peter Robinson is an English crime writer, based in Canada. He is best known for his crime novels set in Yorkshire featuring Inspector Alan Banks...
's "Cold Is The GraveCold is the GraveCold Is The Grave is the 13th novel by crime-writer Peter Robinson, published in 2000 and is 11th in the multi award-winning Inspector Alan Banks series...
". - Herb in Die Softly by Christopher PikeChristopher Pike (author)Christopher Pike is the pseudonym of American author Kevin Christopher McFadden . He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction, but whose expertise is in the thriller genre. The pseudonym Christopher Pike is allegedly a reference to the captain of the USS Enterprise in the Star...
. - In Cape FearCape Fear (1962 film)Cape Fear is a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen. It was adapted by James R. Webb from the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson, and released on April 12, 1962...
Max Cady poisons Sam Bowden's dog with strychnine. - Rio Takeuchi in the manga Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna threatens main character, Ayumu Narumi in a game to test his luck using strychnine poisoning.
- In "All Things Wise and Wonderful", James HerriotJames HerriotJames Herriot was the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight , an English veterinary surgeon and writer, who used his many years of experiences as a veterinarian to write a series of books of stories about animals and their owners...
, the main character and local veterinarian, deals with several victims of strychnine poisoning when a dog-killer attacks the neighborhood dogs. - The murder in the MonkMonk (TV series)Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
episode Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa is carried out through a bottle of port poisoned with strychnine. - The Joker makes a cameo appearance in the Elseworld graphic novel Gotham by Gaslight as a serial killer who tries to kill himself with strychnine, leaving him with a permanent grin.