Cyanides

1. Cyanides • HCN; KCN; NaCN • Solid or vapors • Extremely toxic: arrest of intracellular breathing • KCN lethal dose 0,15 – 0,60 g (dose may depend on „freshness“) • Industry; Nature (some plants – manioc; yam; kernels of some fruits) • Ways of application: vapors (HCN); ingestion (KCN) • Symptoms of intoxication: • Big dose: death within few seconds • Small dose: burning and bitter taste in mouth; vomiting; difficult breathing; cramps, spasms; signs of cardiac failure; unconsciousness; death • Autopsy findings: • Brightly red lividities • Typical smell of bitter almonds • General signs of suffocation • Lesions of gastric mucosa: KCN+H2O=KOH+HCN • Medico legal implications: accident; suicide; homicide

2. Methanol • CH3OH; liquid; typical aromatic smell of an alcohol • Extremely toxic • Lethal dose: 30-100 g • Ways of application: vapors, ingestion • Symptoms of intoxication: • Sniffing up: difficult speaking (whisper); pain in the throat; tinnitus; difficult breathing; disorders of consciousness; • Medico-legal implications: • Accident • Suicide • Homicide

3. Nitrites • Nitric gases: • Lethal dose about 0,4 g/l • Main symptoms: breathing disorders, pulmonary oedema,expectoration og haemorhagic sputum • Solid compounds – anorganic or organic origin • Amylnitrite; nitrobenzene; nitrogylcerine • Lethal dose: quite high, different, may be 4-15 g • Symptoms of intoxication: • general: difficulties in breathing, disorders of consciousness; perspiration; signs of suffocation • Autopsy findings: • Typical blue-gray lividities; methaemoglobinemia

4. Thalium • Metallic chemical element • Different chemical compounds: fluorides, sulfites, chlorides,iodides • Mainly used in industry • Rat poison and ant killer • Lethal dose: about 2 g • Ways of application: ingestion • Symptoms of intoxication: • Vomiting; cramps; unrest; diarrhea then constipation; renal failure • Autopsy findings: • Not characteristic • Medico-legal implication: • Accidents; it was abused for induction of abortion

5. Arsenic • As; metalloid chemical element • Inorganic and organic compounds • Used in industry in wood preservation; obsolete medicament (neoslavarsan) • Lethal dose: reduced (As (III) and oxidized (As (V) forms • About 0,15-0,30 g • Affect intracellular breathing, man enzymatic pathways • Ways of application: ingestion • Symptoms of intoxication: • Gastrointestinal form (acute) • Scrape in mouth, vomiting – later haemorhagic, diarrhea – signs of dehydratation; renal failure • Nerve form (chronic) • Metallic taste in mouth, nausea, diarrhae×constipation • Inflammatory changes on mucosa: stomatitis, skin pigmentation • Neurological disorders • Autopsy findings: • Gastrointestinal, liver and kidneys damage

6. Nicotine • Alkaloid present in plants form Solanacae family – tobacco • Most wide-spread abused drug • Content in tobacco is about 0,3-6 % • Lethal dose: 0,01-0,05 g (extract from one cigarette may lethal) • Symptoms of intoxication: • Activate sympathetic nervous system: salivation, nausea, vomiting • CNS: irritation • Ways of application: • Smoking • Chewing × ingestion • Autopsy findings: • Not characteristic, typical smell of tobacco from organs; signs of burning on mucosa • Medico-legal implication: • Accident • Suicide • Homicide

7. Barbiturates • Organic substance • Large family of medicaments • Barbiturates are classified as ultrashort-, short-, intermediate-, and long-acting, • Symptoms of intoxication • respiratory depression, lowered blood pressure, fatigue, fever, unusual excitement, irritability, dizziness, poor concentration, sedation, confusion, impaired coordination, impaired judgment, addiction, and respiratory arrest which may lead to death • Lethal dose: different, quite high • Autopsy findings: • Not characteristic, general signs of suffocation, hyperemia, brain edema • Medico-legal implication: • Accident; • Suicides • homicide

8. Warfare agents • Blood agents • Cyanogen chloride • Hydrogen cyanide • Blister agents • Lewisite • Mustard gas • Nerve agents: organophosphates blocking acetylcholinesterase • Tabun • Sarin • Soman • Syclosarin • Novichok agents • Pulmonary agents: • Chlorine • Chloropicrine • Phosgene • Diphosgen • Incapacitating agents: • Agent 15 • EA: is aglycolate anticholinergic compound related to atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and other deliriants. • Kolokol-1: opiate-derived • Riot control agents • Pepper spray • CSgas

9. Strychnine • Alkaloid present in seeds from Strychnos nux vomica (Strychnine tree) • Used as pesticide and rodenticide • before in medicine as stimulant • Extremely toxic: 0,03 – 0,05 g • Ways of application: • Ingestion • Symptoms of intoxication: • Unrest, dizziness, anxiety, • Feelings of suffocation • Convulsions, thirst but drinking is not possible • Death may occur immediately, but after a couple of days as well • Autopsy findings: • Not typical, except rigor mortis which is lasting longer then usually • Medico-legal implications: • Accident • Suicide • Homicide: before, but not suitable because of extreme bitter taste

10. Insecticides • 1 Classes of agricultural insecticides • 1.1 Organochlorine compounds • 1.2 Organophosphates • 1.3 Pyrethroids • 1.4 Neonicotinoids • 1.5 Biological insecticides

11. Mushrooms intoxication • Primary intoxication by mushrooms • Amanita - contains phalotoxins and amatoxins • Symptoms of intoxication: • CNS - hallucinations • Gastrointestinal • Hepatic failure • Lethal dose: • About one half of cap may be lethal • Secondary intoxication: • Bacterial contamination of non-toxic mushrooms prepared as food

12. Opium • Opium is mixture of alkaloids present in sap of immature seed pops of Papaver somniferum • Composition: • Morphine, narkoitn, papaverine, codeine, thebain • Most commonly abused drug • Derivatives: heroin • Ways of application: • Ingestion • Smoking • Symptoms of intoxication: • CNS • Autopsy findings: • Not characteristic, pinky red lividities, general signs of suffocations, aspiration of gastric content • Medico-legal implication: • Accident • Suicide • Homicide