Top 10 Most Deadliest Poisons In The World
4. Strychnine
Strychnine is a highly toxic, colorless, bitter crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine, when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through eyes or mouth, causes a poisoning which results in muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia. The most common source is from the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree.
In high doses, strychnine is very toxic to humans and many other animals, and poisoning by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through eyes or mouth can be fatal. S. nux-vomicaseeds are generally effective only when they are crushed or chewed before swallowing because the pericarp is quite hard and indigestible; poisoning symptoms may therefore not appear if the seeds are ingested whole.
