Poisoner's Handbook Notes PDF

Poisoner’s handbook notes 8/26/24 Ninu Adedire Chloroform(CHCL3) Structure : 1 Carbon atom, 1 hydrogen atom, 3 Chlorine atoms Characteristics : Sweet smell Effects: Knocks you out, death Dectection method: Chemical extract...

Poisoner’s handbook notes 8/26/24 Ninu Adedire Chloroform(CHCL3) Structure : 1 Carbon atom, 1 hydrogen atom, 3 Chlorine atoms Characteristics : Sweet smell Effects: Knocks you out, death Dectection method: Chemical extraction and Identification. Chloroform was chemically extracted from samples of the body then put through a series of chemical tests that produced it’s characterisitic smell or reaction Methanol/Wood alcohol (CH3OH) Structure : 1 Carbon atom, 1 Hydrogen atom, 3 Oxygen atoms, 1 Hydrogen atom Effects: Blindness, death, gives a buzz similar to when drinking ethyl alcohol How exactly does it affect the body? :The liver cannot break methanol/wood alchol effectively leading to it getting broken down into formaldehyde and formic acid inside the body. Formaldehyde harms the cells while formic acid continues to accumulate in the body leading to blindness as it attacks the optic nerve, retina and parietal cortex of the brain. This poison eventually kills by destroying the lung tissue Dectection Method : Distillation and chemical testing. Alcohol was collected then distilled to separate it from other components then put through chemical testing to check whether for formaldehyde and formic acid. Cool fact: Methanol flames cannot be seen in daylight Cyanide (NaCN) Structure : 1 Sodium atom, 1 Carbon atom, 1 Nitrogen atom Characteristics : bitter almond smell that not everyone can detect Poisoner’s handbook notes 1  Effects : Convulsions, death(duh) the usual pain and blah and blah other symptons How exactly does it affect the body? : Stops the body from carrying and absorbing oxygen which ultimately leads to death Dectection method : Prussian blue test. A series of chemical reactions would create a prussian blue color Arsenic (As) Arsenic poisons were often used in the form of arsenic trioxide (arsenic heated with oxygen to create arsenic powder) which is also known as white arsenic and the inheritance powder. White arsenic has the structure of two arsenic atoms and three oxygen atoms (As₂O₃). Effects : slows down decomposition of dead bodies, interference with enzymes needed for cellular metabolism, abdominal pain, seizures, vomiting, organ failure, weakness, diarrhea, skin lesions, death Detection method: The marsh test. A sample was treated with acid then burned with zinc. if arsenic was present it would produce a gas that when burned would create a metallic arsenic stain on a cool surface. Mercury (Hg) There are 2 types of mercury described in the poisoner’s handbook. One is Bichloride of mercury, which has a structure of 1 mercury atom and 2 chlorine atoms (HgCl₂). The second is mercurous chloride, which has a structure of two mercury atoms for every two chlorine atoms (Hg₂Cl₂). Characteristics: silver, looks like shiny silver water but when touched it does not absorb and instead breaks into smaller parts Effects: mercurial tumors, shortness of breath, irritability, mood swings, memory problems, weakness, metallic taste in mouth, nausea, Lack of motor skills, changes in vision, hearing or speech, erethism, burning sensation in mouth, death and more Detection method: Chemical precipitation. Chemical reactions that caused mercury to precipitate out of the solution made from a sample of the body Poisoner’s handbook notes 2  Cool fact: The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland is based on 19th-century hatmakers who suffered from mercury poisoning. Mercury was used in the hat- making process, leading to a condition known as "mad hatter's disease." This diease caused behavioral symptoms that inspired the character's eccentric behavior. In other words, he was actually crazy. Another fact but not very cool: Called Hg on the periodic table instead of Me or something because it’s chemical name is Hydragyrum. (Lame, Ikr. Mercury is a cooler name) Carbon Monoxide (CO) Characteristics: odorless, tasteless, invisible, gas, can't be heard, turns the skin pink (Barbie?) and the blood bright red, (is a thug) Effects: drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, confusion, dementia, memory loss, irritability, large loss of coordination, slurred speech, depression, lungs become covered in a weird mucus layer, brain becomes battered, death How exactly does it affect the body? : When you breathe it in your body begins to replace oxygen with carbon monoxide meaning that it basically forces oxygen out of the lungs (Like a thug robbing you or something, lol) and chemically suffocates whoever is unfortunate enough to breath it in (Hopefully it won’t ever be me. Amen) Detection method: Spectroscopy. This method of testing uses lighting to test blood samples. Because poisoned blood and normal blood absorb lighting differently it becomes clear when blood is poisoned by carbon monoxide Cool fact: Can only poison by breathing it in Radium (Ra) “My dear Radium”-Marie Curie Characteristics: radioactive (duh), when mixed with specific materials that I forgot it glows bluish green Effects: increased risk of certain cancers, weak rotting bones, joint pains, anemia, eye cataracts, broken teeth, horrible sores, reduced bone growth, death (duh) Poisoner’s handbook notes 3  How exactly does it affect the body? Because radium is chemically similar to calcium, the body absorbs it in the same way. However, while calcium strengthens bones, radium bombards them with alpha, gamma, and beta radiation, leading to rapid deterioration. Even after death, radium continues to emit radiation and remains in the body. (. Once it gets a hold of you, you will never be freeeeeeeee! even in death you shall not be parted) Some cool facts Radium was named for being radioactive (duh) It emits 3 types of radiation. Alpha radiation (weakest) Beta radiation (the middle child so it’s not special) and gamma radiation (The strongest) Decaying radium produces radon gas and polonium Radium is produced from decaying uranium Marie curie won a nobel prize for discovering and working closely with the element to learn more about it It is said that her bones are still glowing till this day cause of it Detection method: Radiographic analysis. Because Radium is radioactive it was measured and detected using radiographic methods Ethyl alcohol/ ethanol (C2H5OH) Structure: 2 Carbon atoms, 5 Hydrogen atoms, 1 Oxygen, 1 Hydrogen Effects: dilated pupils, bodies remained very stiff after death, inflames the stomach to cause nausea and vomiting, dehydration, cause the most harm to the liver(poor liver), inflames the esphogaus, the brain becomes battered and flushed with blood (DON’T DO ALCOHOL KIDS) Detection method: Distillation and chemical tests. Ethanol was distilled and put through a series of chemical tests to quantify and identify the ethanol uncool facts breaks down into acetic alcohol derived from fermentation if drank routinely in moderation it won’t kill you straight up Poisoner’s handbook notes 4  Nicotine 🚬 (C10H14N2) Structure: 10 carbon, 14 hydrogen, 2 nitrogen Effects: blisters and burns in the body, intense vomiting, convulsions, shutdown of the nervous system, death by respiratory paralysis (UH, DON’T DO WEED KIDS) Uncool facts naturally occuring alkaloid found in tobacco plants belongs to the poisonous nightshade plant family first plant alkaloid to be detected in a corpse Thallium (TI) 🙀 Effects: hair loss( ) nausea, weakness, exhaustion, difficulty breathing, vomiting, death (duh) Characteristics: odorless, tasteless, colorless How exactly does it affect the body? the body absorbs it in a similar way it does potassium because they are similar as a result disruption of cell metabolism occurs and chemical bonds in the body are splintered leading to death by paralysis of the central nervous system and failure of the respiratory system Detection method: Flame test, Forcing Thallium to settle out of a solution cool facts darkens when exposed to air when put through a flame test it's a brilliant spring like green hence the name Thallium taken from the Greek work thallos meaning “a newly leafed plant Poisoner’s handbook notes 5