The Nation Newspaper

Tag: poisoning

  • Family of three, unborn baby, die of food poisoning

    A tragedy occurred in Swali, Yenagoa at the weekend following the death of a husband, his pregnant wife and a 10-year-old boy after consuming suspected poisonous food.

    It was gathered that the food, which they consumed, was prepared by the 35-year-old woman identified as Mrs. Nkem Igwenta.

    All members of the family including the 35-year-old husband, Orji Igwenta and a 10-year-old boy, Obinna Ogbani, said to be the cousin of Igwenta, were found lifeless after the poisoned dinner.

    Eyewitnesses said two rats, which reportedly ate crumbs of the food, were also found dead in the apartment.

    It was gathered that the neighbours, who were thrown into mourning after discovering the incident on Saturday afternoon, alerted the police.

    A source who spoke in confidence said: “A great tragedy has occurred at winners Road Swali, it was a black afternoon for us as a complete family is wiped out by food poison, 

    “Father, pregnant mother and a 10-year old  boy that is living with them all died. How their food was poison is still mysterious up till now after they ate their night dinner cooked by the wife. Even two rats that ate the remnants also died. Vengeance belongs to Lord if is done by human enemies”.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, confirmed the tragedy describing their death as sudden and unnatural.

    He said: “The  landlord of the deceased reported that the deceased one Orji Igwenta ‘m’ 35yrs a native of Ozallah community in Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State  and a keke rider was found dead with the wife Mrs Nkem Igwenta ‘f’ 34yrs wife and Obinna Ogbani ‘m’ 10yrs, a brother to Orji Igwenta in their room at the same address. 

    “Also found dead by their side is a rat which is suspected to have eaten the same poison food with the family”.

  • Food and water poisoning: Hepatitis A and E

    Food and water poisoning: Hepatitis A and E

    Another set of very dangerous germs that often poison us through what we consume are hepatitis A and E. Both hepatitis A and E are viruses. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Therefore, the primary area that hepatitis A and E will cause most damage is in the liver. Human beings have only one liver. A damaged person with severely damaged liver without replacement via liver transplant could be facing a terminal illness. Like most food and water poisoning that we had discussed, Hepatitis A and E have their roots in poor sanitation and food handlers with poor sanitary behaviour. Even if the consumers of the food maintain a perfect personal hygiene or if the consumer of the food are innocent children, so long as the food handlers somehow found a way to contaminate the food, then the consumer of the food will become ill.

    We discussed issue of incubation period before now. For hepatitis A, the incubation period is about four weeks before the illness begins to appear.

    Caution: Please note that the extremely common and deadly hepatitis B and C viruses are not transmitted via food and water. These are transmitted via sex and any form of blood transfusion (sharing of blades, needles, tooth brushes and actual clinical blood transfusion).

    Signs and symptoms of Hepatitis A

    In general, hepatitis A presents itself like all other hepatitis viral infection. Feeling of being tired and generally being unwell may be the first sets of symptoms. Of course, there are thousands of other illnesses such as malaria and typhoid that may also present in similar form. Joint and muscle pain may appear as well as if one was suffering from malaria. A high temperature (fever), loss of appetite, feeling or being sick (nausea) could mimic other diseases. However, pain in the upper-right part of your tummy (abdomen), yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine and pale stools, itchy skin will help us to differentiate hepatitis from other illnesses that may cause confusion. There could be pain in the tummy too after the initial symptoms which I discussed above.

    The good news though is that most people will make a good progress and recovery. The symptoms can come and go for up to six months in some people.

    Likely complications: In a few people, the liver can stop working after a while. This is called liver failure. A disease called cirrhosis can develop which if not treated may lead to liver failure or liver cancer.

     

    Treatment of Hepatitis A

    Professionals will deal with clinical treatment but you can help yourself too. Avoid paracetamol medication, alcohol and vigorous exercise including sex. You should drink plenty of water. You need rest too and reduce daily activities for now. You may require some high glucose drink to provide energy for you.

     

    Prevention

    Fortunately, we do have vaccine for hepatitis A. So, if you need to protect yourself and your family from infection of hepatitis A, you should go for vaccination as soon as possible. Just for completion, hepatitis B also has vaccination. Hepatitis C does not.  You should be aware that, you could transmit the infection to others if you fail to adhere to the personal hygiene which I have earlier described. This includes hand washing after toileting, proper disposal of feaces and avoid food handling for now until the illness subsides

     

    Hepatitis E

    Hepatitis E occurs world-wide, but especially where sanitation may be poor (such as Asia, Africa and Central America). Just as in other food poisoning, the virus spreads by the consumption of sewage-contaminated food and water. The source of contamination is faeces shed from other infected people (or infected animals).

    The virus may also spread from animals to human beings through the consumption of undercooked or raw pig and game meat, processed pork and shellfish. Person to person transmission of the virus is very much rare, though the virus has been shown to have passed between people through blood transfusion and solid organ transplantation.

    Although the incubation period of the virus is about 15 to 60days, the symptoms and impact on human beings are similar to Hepatitis A. Usually the illness may resolve within 30 days. There is a risk of small complications similar to hepatitis A. However, pregnant women and people with low or suppressed immunity are at greater risk of complications from the virus.

    As at the time of this writing, there is no licensed vaccine for hepatitis E. Prevention of infection can be achieved by: cooking meat and meat products thoroughly, avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and shellfish, washing hands thoroughly before preparing, serving and eating food, boil all drinking water, including water for brushing teeth and avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and shellfish.

  • Food and water poisoning: Cholera and other bacteria

    You may be forgiven to think that cholera no longer exists. In my teen years, cholera was a scourge in Nigeria so much that a very popular Juju musician ensured as part of his campaign to prevent the illness from spreading, sang an indelible memorial songs to cholera. Folks who lived through the 1970s and 1980’s will recall some of these songs.

    Cholera is a state of acute diarrhoea caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. Like all food and water poisoning, the disease of cholera develops from contamination of our food and water. About 140,000 people die of cholera yearly, world-wide.

    I had earlier explained last week’s, what is meant by incubation. In the case of cholera, the period is about 12 hours to five days. Few infection, if any, kills faster than cholera by reason that cholera drains the individual of water and nutrients within hours of its onset and death could set in speedily. Cholera kills faster than the deadly and fearful Ebola.  It affects both adult and children and like most illnesses, children are often most severely affected.

    What are the symptoms of cholera? It should be noted that not everyone who contracted the bacteria will progress to illness. Some may just feel ill in a mild way. In minority of cases, the symptom can be very severe and sudden: the principal symptom is watery diarrhoea— frequently going to move the bowel. Nothing stays in the gut. The songs which I mentioned above, made mention of frequent watery stools and bullet –like vomiting that shoots out of mouth. While vomiting may occur, the principal problem is diarrhoea.

    Treatment:  Thank goodness that cholera can easily be treated once recognised. The key is to rehydrate the sufferer. Therefore, everyone should be aware of and know how to prepare oral rehydration therapy (ORT). All nursing mothers should also take note of how to prepare ORT (or ORS). For cholera patients, the World Health Organisation/UNICEF ORS standard sachet is to have one sachet of ORS dissolved in one litre of clean water. The water could be boiled water that is allowed to cool down and the ORS poured in. Alternatively, ORS can be prepared by adding five cubes of sugar (five level of teaspoon) plus one level spoon of salt into one litre of water. Adult patients suffering from cholera may require up to 6 L of ORS to treat moderate dehydration on the first day.

    Other patients that are severely dehydrated will require intravenous fluid being given rapidly. For children, breast feeding should be continued and antibiotics be given to both adult and children.

    I cannot overemphasise the importance of accessing skilled medical treatment as soon as possible irrespective of ORS or not

    Prevention

    Again, as in the case of all food and water poisoning, prevention steps are very important in dealing with cholera and all forms of food poisoning.

    Cooked food that is stored anywhere, such as rice stored in the fridge, should be reheated thoroughly before eating. As in typhoid, clean your hands well after defeacating. Consuming only clean water and well-cooked food is the key to preventing cholera. Boil the water if necessary. Infected food handlers should be excluded from making or handling food until he or she is clinically cleared of the infection.

    However, like most things that is wrong with Nigeria, enforcement of basic rules and laws by designated responsible persons in private and public domains is clearly the weak point in any effort to deal with and reduce food poisoning illnesses.

    Vaccination: Cholera can be prevented by vaccination. There are three types of vaccines. All three require two doses for full protection.

    Other Bacteria Poisoning Our Food:

    In general, our food and water should not contain hostile bacteria, parasites and viruses. Any time we consume such germs, we will fall ill. Other bacteria that commonly affects our health through our food and water are E.coli and listeria. No matter the bacteria, the important thing we should be aware of is to maintain  personal food hygiene, wash and clean our vegetables, reheat cooked food that had been stored and avoid street-vendor foods. We should also take note that the mere fact that a food chain  on the high street, is popular does not give it a clean slate. We should exercise discretion in our food choices.

  • Food and water poisoning: Cholera and other bacteria

    Food and water poisoning: Cholera and other bacteria

    You may be forgiven to think that cholera no longer exists. In my teen years, cholera was a scourge in Nigeria so much that a very popular Juju musician ensured as part of his campaign to prevent the illness from spreading, sang an indelible memorial songs to cholera. Folks who lived through the 1970s and 1980’s will recall some of these songs.

    Cholera is a state of acute diarrhoea caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. Like all food and water poisoning, the disease of cholera develops from contamination of our food and water. About 140,000 people die of cholera yearly, world-wide.

    I had earlier explained last week’s, what is meant by incubation. In the case of cholera, the period is about 12 hours to five days. Few infection, if any, kills faster than cholera by reason that cholera drains the individual of water and nutrients within hours of its onset and death could set in speedily. Cholera kills faster than the deadly and fearful Ebola.  It affects both adult and children and like most illnesses, children are often most severely affected.

    What are the symptoms of cholera? It should be noted that not everyone who contracted the bacteria will progress to illness. Some may just feel ill in a mild way. In minority of cases, the symptom can be very severe and sudden: the principal symptom is watery diarrhoea— frequently going to move the bowel. Nothing stays in the gut. The songs which I mentioned above, made mention of frequent watery stools and bullet –like vomiting that shoots out of mouth. While vomiting may occur, the principal problem is diarrhoea.

    Treatment:  Thank goodness that cholera can easily be treated once recognised. The key is to rehydrate the sufferer. Therefore, everyone should be aware of and know how to prepare oral rehydration therapy (ORT). All nursing mothers should also take note of how to prepare ORT (or ORS). For cholera patients, the World Health Organisation/UNICEF ORS standard sachet is to have one sachet of ORS dissolved in one litre of clean water. The water could be boiled water that is allowed to cool down and the ORS poured in. Alternatively, ORS can be prepared by adding five cubes of sugar (five level of teaspoon) plus one level spoon of salt into one litre of water. Adult patients suffering from cholera may require up to 6 L of ORS to treat moderate dehydration on the first day.

    Other patients that are severely dehydrated will require intravenous fluid being given rapidly. For children, breast feeding should be continued and antibiotics be given to both adult and children.

    I cannot overemphasise the importance of accessing skilled medical treatment as soon as possible irrespective of ORS or not

    Prevention

    Again, as in the case of all food and water poisoning, prevention steps are very important in dealing with cholera and all forms of food poisoning.

    Cooked food that is stored anywhere, such as rice stored in the fridge, should be reheated thoroughly before eating. As in typhoid, clean your hands well after defeacating. Consuming only clean water and well-cooked food is the key to preventing cholera. Boil the water if necessary. Infected food handlers should be excluded from making or handling food until he or she is clinically cleared of the infection.

    However, like most things that is wrong with Nigeria, enforcement of basic rules and laws by designated responsible persons in private and public domains is clearly the weak point in any effort to deal with and reduce food poisoning illnesses.

    Vaccination: Cholera can be prevented by vaccination. There are three types of vaccines. All three require two doses for full protection.

    Other Bacteria Poisoning Our Food:

    In general, our food and water should not contain hostile bacteria, parasites and viruses. Any time we consume such germs, we will fall ill. Other bacteria that commonly affects our health through our food and water are E.coli and listeria. No matter the bacteria, the important thing we should be aware of is to maintain  personal food hygiene, wash and clean our vegetables, reheat cooked food that had been stored and avoid street-vendor foods. We should also take note that the mere fact that a food chain  on the high street, is popular does not give it a clean slate. We should exercise discretion in our food choices.

  • Food and water poisoning: Typhoid disease

    Let me be clear about this from the outset and let the reader take good note of my warning: typhoid disease is deadly.  The good news though is that if we stick with diligent preventive measures as well as take urgent step to receive treatment when we fall ill to typhoid, typhoid can be defeated.

    As I mentioned last week under the general discussion on food and water poisoning, typhoid is very common. Perhaps second only to malaria illness that most doctors in our environment will consider when an individual presents with fever especially if such fever is associated with abdominal/tummy pain/ache and loose or soft frequent stools (poo).  Therefore, typhoid illness is very common and equally as deadly.Typhoid affects about 21million people and kills about 200,000 people yearly in the world (malaria kills about 600,000 by comparison). Without speed and effective treatment, about 12 percent-30 per cent of the people affected by typhoid will die (compare 50-70per cent death recorded under Ebola). Even if a person is treated, about five per cent of the afflicted will continue to serve as a carrier of the disease.

    What causes typhoid? Typhoid disease is caused by a bacterium called salmonella typhi. Equally lethal is the sister of the salmonella typhi called salmonella paratyphi. Except for academic purposes, in practical terms, the progression of the illness caused by either form of the salmonella is immaterial. The clinical symptoms and treatment are similar. When our food and water are contaminated by feaces/stool (poo), typhoid could result.

    For ease of understanding and for the sake of our discussion, let us therefore refer to the illness as “typhoid” and nothing as “paratyhi”

    What are the symptoms and signs of typhoid?  The symptoms may not necessarily follow in any particular order as we respond differently to different conditions when we are challenged. Also, children are particularly vulnerable. They may not be able to accurately describe what they are feeling. As a result, the illness of typhoid may become more severe in children and could kill so easily because of this fact.

    Therefore, the fact that someone who had typhoid failed to have fever is not to say that the loose stools or bowel movement which may be the only symptom alone may not be due to typhoid. Any change in a person’s health especially as pertaining to food, bowel and appetite must therefore be thoroughly investigated.

    With these caveats in mind, let us now deal with clinical features of typhoid.

    The most frequent and important symptoms and signs are changes in the bowel functions which may be associated with general signs of infection. Like any other infection, typhoid has its own incubation period. Incubation period is the time between when the germ lands in the human body and the first time when the victim starts to experience illness. The bowel changes may be nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal (tummy) discomfort, vomiting, loose stools, stooling that seems to relieve the abdominal pain but returns as soon as new food reaches the bowel. The victim, loses energy and thus get tired stemming from often frequent loose soft stools, loss of appetite and vomiting. Confusion and headache could also set in.

    Fever could be extremely high: as high as 39-40ºCelcius.  If untreated, complications may start to set in. Such complications may be perforation of parts of the bowel with possible bleeding internally.

    If the earlier symptoms do not kill the person, the latter complications may become fatal. Within a matter of three weeks from onset of illness, the person may be dead.

    Diagnosis: The illness needs confirmation via blood, urine or stool samples. But delay for confirmation should not be a barrier to starting treatment. The use of and demand for “Widal” test is not confirmatory and is often not the best indicator of the illness. In my practice, I will collect samples for relevant tests and then start the treatment immediately.

    Prevention: You can do a lot to prevent typhoid illness. Dispose of stools/feaces(poo) adequately. When you visit the toilet, ensure you wash your hands after. As a rule of thumb, avoid if possible, from eating outside your home. Food vendors/sellers outside the home are often dispensers of typhoid.  Avoid eating the food whose origin and cook you do not know of. A key source of spread of typhoid is food sellers or vendors. Food outlet owners need to regularly screen their staff for typhoid and other infections. If you are in doubt of the food and water, cook or re-heat the water or food until either is steaming hot before eating.  Drink only well sourced or bottled water.

    Also importantly, there are vaccines that can provide partial immunity against typhoid and this immunity could last two years. So, vulnerable persons, children and travelers should consider receiving this vaccination.   However if illness starts, ensure you ask for medical help immediately.

  • Food and water poisoning: How to tame the widespread killers

    About few years ago, I had stopped over in one of the fast food chains in Lagos to eat. I had only eaten a meat pie and some gizzards. I was certain I did not consume anything else until the following day when I started vomiting with frequent bowel movements and severe abdominal pain.

    It took a great medical effort to bring my health into normality. I had a repeat of the same experience within the last 36 months when I bought a piece of roast plantain on the roadside.

    A female friend of mine who had just returned from the United Kingdom (UK) three weeks ago had bought some foods from a popular fast-food chain also, only to end up in our hospital facility few days after with severe vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, reduced appetite, generalised weakness and fever.

    The above is a tip of the iceberg of the experience of Nigerians when it comes to food poisoning. Like malaria, food poisoning is as common, affecting both men and women, children and adult alike. Depending on the lifestyles of the individual, class of the victim may not really be of any barrier against food poisoning. I have come across professionals, bank directors, company CEOs, business owners, politicians and so forth who had suffered from various forms of food poisoning.

    In the following series, I will be writing on causes of food and water poisoning focusing on the common agents such as salmonella typhi that is commonly known as Typhoid disease E.coli and other bacterial contamination of our food and drinks. Cholera is still a menace in Nigeria, breaking out occasionally in different parts of the country. Viruses and chemicals also cause food and water diseases that afflict us severely. We will also be dealing with treatment and preventions of these illnesses. For now, let us take a closer look at origin of food and water poisoning.

     

    Causes of food and water poisoning

    I will rely on World Health Organsation (WHO) for guidance on this. Credit to WHO too.

    As I mentioned earlier, food and water poisoning may be caused by various agents.

     

    Bacteria

    Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli are among the most common foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people annually – sometimes with severe and fatal outcomes. Symptoms are fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Examples of foods involved in outbreaks of salmonellosis are eggs, poultry and other products of animal origin.  Salmonellosis are not often reported or experienced in our environment unlike diseases of typhoid.

    Because of its great importance in our environment and the damage it causes us, I will discuss Salmonella typhi and paratyhi (typhoid diseases) separately next week.

    Foodborne cases with Campylobacter are mainly caused by raw milk, raw or undercooked poultry and drinking water. Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (E.coli) are associated with unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat and fresh fruits and vegetables.

    Listeria infection leads to unplanned abortions in pregnant women or death of newborn babies. Although disease occurrence is relatively low, listeria’s severe and sometimes fatal health consequences, particularly among infants, children and the elderly, count them among the most serious food borne infections. Listeria is found in unpasteurised dairy products and various ready-to-eat foods and can grow at refrigeration temperatures.

    Vibrio cholerae infects people through contaminated water or food. Again, due to the importance of cholera in our environment, I will devote a separate article in this series on Cholera.

    Meanwhile, regarding viruses, the following are the major causes of food and water poisoning.  Norovirus infections are characterized by nausea, explosive vomiting, watery diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Hepatitis A virus can cause long-lasting liver disease and spreads typically through raw or undercooked seafood or contaminated raw produce. Infected food handlers are often the source of food contamination. We will examine issue of hepatitis A further in the series.

     

    Parasites

    Some parasites, such as fish-borne trematodes or worms, are only transmitted through food. Others, for example tapeworms like Echinococcus spp, or Taenia solium, may infect people through food or direct contact with animals. Other parasites, such as Ascaris, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia (common in our environment), enter the food chain via water or soil and can contaminate fresh produce.

     

    Chemicals

    Of most concern for health are naturally occurring toxins and environmental pollutants.  Naturally occurring toxins include mycotoxins, marine biotoxins, cyanogenic glycosides and toxins occurring in poisonous mushrooms. Staple foods like corn or cereals can contain high levels of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and ochratoxin, produced by mould on grain. A long-term exposure can affect the immune system and normal development, or cause cancer. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are compounds that accumulate in the environment and human body. Known examples are dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are unwanted by-products of industrial processes and waste incineration. They are found worldwide in the environment and accumulate in animal food chains. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury cause neurological and kidney damage. Contamination by heavy metal in food occurs mainly through pollution of air, water and soil.

    From next weeks, we shall discuss in detail, illnesses, such as typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A and D.

    Finally, I shall touch on chemicals that poison us in our food and drinks.

  • Command investigates ‘food poisoning’ in Enugu

    Enugu State Police Command is investigating the alleged food poisoning of a prominent man at a restaurant in Enugu, spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement in Enugu yesterday.

    Amaraizu, a superintendent of police, said the incident occurred about 4:30 pm. on September 8 in Akwuke, Enugu.

    “It was learnt a man was allegedly served rice and stew at a popular restaurant in Akwuke,” he said.

    Amaraizu said it took the intervention of police operatives to quell the mob, who besieged the restaurant after the incident.

    “But for the intervention of our men, this would have resulted in loss of lives.

    “The command, through its operatives, has started investigation into an alleged food poisoning at Akwuke in Enugu South Local Government,’’ he added.

    According to him, a man is suspected to have poisoned the food.

  • My wife has been poisoning my meals since 2008, husband tells court

    A middle-aged man, Prince Agina, yesterday told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos that his wife, Obianuju, has been poisoning his meals since 2008.

    The union which was consummated on December 24, 2006 in Anambra had been blessed with three children.

    Obianuju was also accused of frequent fighting and infidelity by her husband.

    Agina said: “Since 2008, I have noticed that my food was being laced with poison, which has resulted to my deteriorating health; as I am standing here, I’m sick.

    “Usually, I travel a lot. On one occasion when I returned home; I noticed that the centre table in our home had broken; when I asked my daughter how it happened, she told me that one uncle broke it.

    “This means my wife brings other men into our matrimonial home whenever I travelled because my daughter knows all her uncles.

    “She goes out at will without my permission, she does not listen to me as her husband and I don’t love her anymore.”

    However, the respondent denied all the allegations levelled against her by her estranged husband.

    She said: “My husband has diabetes and hypertension; and he keeps eating those foods that the doctor warned him to desist from.

    “Please tell me why he won’t be sick always. I stayed with him at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for four months looking after him but he did not listen to the doctor’s advice. So, how has his disobedience become my fault?

    “He married me a virgin; so why will I start sleeping around now, why will I bring men into the house where my children are staying with me.

    “He abandoned me and the children for four years when he travelled to Angola and he wasn’t sending money from there for our upkeep. My family members took care of my children and I throughout the period.”

    The president of the court, Adegboyega Omilola, referred the couple to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) office for possible settlement.

    Omilola said the couple should appear before the ADR members on February 25, while he adjourned the case to March 7 for further hearing.

  • Six die of food poisoning

    Six die of food poisoning

    Six members of a family have died of food poisoning in Awilkiti, Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the victims include two women and four children.

    They have been buried according to Islamic rites.

    A delegation of the state government, led by the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Alhaji Nasiru Dantsoho, paid a condolence visit to the family.

    The Caretaker Chairman of the council, Alhaji Musa Bachaka, donated N20,000 and two bags of rice and millet to them.

    Chief Imam of Kutufare in the same local government Alhaji Muhammadu Nadande drowned in a river last Thursday.

    He has been buried according to Islamic rites.

    Dantsoho and Bachaka commiserated with his family.

     

  • Ways of poisoning

    Didn’t your mama say: never sleep with a stranger? Imagine a dark-minded bedmate with a straw, blowing some powder up your nostril or pumping some stuff down your ear when you are in deep sleep.  And if you snore with your mouth open, what luck for the poisoner.

    Poisons can be added to food or drink and the color, taste, or texture of the poison can be masked if the food has a strong taste or color, or if the food is well chopped up or inconsistent in look.  Volatile, colorless, odorless poisons can be introduced into the air in a room, car, or other enclosures. Volatile poisons with a scent can be masked by the scent of an air freshener.  Some poisons can be put on clothing, shoes, or on anything worn on the skin.  Colorless, odorless poisons can be sprayed in cups or on plates and utensils. It is said that King Charles IX was poisoned by licking his finger to turn the pages of a book not knowing that the pages were coated with arsenic.  In modern times, newspapers and letters have been delivered to victims with ricin, anthrax bacteria or other inclusions in their pages.

    The ancient Romans carried poison in their finger rings.  Assassins have been known to poison fruits in a person’s garden.  It is believed that Emperor Augustus was poisoned by the figs grown in his own garden. Flowers used to make scents to be worn by the privileged were poisoned.

    It is rumored that Pope Clement VII was killed by fumes from a poisoned torch. Clothing items were impregnated with arsenic or cantharides. Cups were coated with arsenic.  In 1978, Jim Jones, founder of Peoples Temple, caused a mass suicide of 909 members with a drink containing cyanide.

     

    In present times, your enemy may stalk your maid at the supermarket to inject poison into some food in her shopping cart when she is busy selecting something from a shelf.  Your neighbor may drill a tiny hole through the wall to supply your air with something.  So there are various ways that one could be poisoned.  Did your mama teach you to pray before meals? Well, you do need to pray all the time because, you never know.

    You may think: what is the world coming to?  No, the world has always been a battle between good and evil. At various eras, one prevailed, depending on how civilized or uncivilized humans became.

    There are many substances that are recognized as poisons. One list is from the 14C author Petri de Abano’s work De RemedisVenenorum: mercury, gypsum, copper,iron, rust, magnetite, lapis lazuli, arsenic sublimate, litharge,lead, realgar, cateputria, cucumber, usnea, coriander, hellebore, mezereon, fool’s parsley, bryony, nux vomica, colocynth, laurel berries, cicuta, serpentary, and cantharides.   Another historical writer Magister Santes de Ardoynis in his Book of Venoms mentions: arsenic, aconite, hellebore, laurel, opium,bryony, mandrake, cantharides, leopard’s gall, cat’s brains, and menstrual blood as poisons.

    Thus from various writings over the centuries we have a list of substances that are generally labeled as poisons.  This list is very long and includes (in alphabetical order): acetanilide (antifebrin) , acids that are corrosive (flesh eating); aconite; alkalis that are corrosive, alcohol,  ammonia, arsenic, atropine, barbiturates, barium, camphor, cantharides, carbolic acid, carbon monoxide, chloral, chloroform, cocaine, colchicum, conium, copper, corrosive sublimate, croton oil, digitalis, ergot, gelsemium, hydrocyanic acid, iodine, lead, lobelia, mercuric salts, nitric acid, nitroglycerin, opium, oxalic acid, Paris green, phenol, phenacetin, phosphorus, physostigmine, picrotoxin, strophanthus, strychnine, sulfonal, trional , tansy oil, tartar emetic, tobacco, veratrumviride, zinc salts.Some of these substances are medications, e.g. barbiturates used as sedatives but which can dangerously depress breathing and physostigmine(from Nigerian Calabar beans) used as an eye medication.

    Others are substances we use at home such as camphor, or consume such as alcohol, or are that are byproducts of our machines, e.g. carbon monoxide from electricity generators, or components of household items, e.g. mercury from thermometers and lead from pencils, or various chemicals from cleaning agents.  Next we will look at poisoning in day-to-day exposures and some specific antidotes.

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635