Whose phrase everything is poison is the main dose. A new look at the ideas of paracelsus, or about the incompatibility of drugs. When the comrades do not agree

The biography of Paracelsus says that this man devoted his whole life to studying the secrets of medicine and alchemy. An outstanding medieval doctor was significantly ahead of his time and significantly influenced the current state of medicine.

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Scientist and Alchemist Paracelsus - Biography

From the biography of Paracelsus it is known that the real name of the scientist of the Middle Ages sounded like this - Philipp Avreol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim. False modesty in choosing a pseudonym clearly did not interfere with him - he added the prefix "para" to the name of the famous ancient Greek physician Celsus. It means "like Celsus".

Paracelsus

The future doctor and alchemist was born on September 21, 1493 in the city of Eg, which is now called Einsiedeln. His parents were directly related to medicine. Before marriage, her mother was a matron in the almshouse of the Benedictine abbey. After the wedding, she left this position, since a married woman had no right to occupy it. She became a nurse in the same almshouse.

Father Wilhelm Bombast von Hohenheim came from an impoverished noble family. He was a doctor and taught medical sciences to his son. It was his father who became the first teacher of Paracelsus. He also taught his son philosophy, which was then given considerable importance. The family had an excellent library despite that. Wilhelm became an example for his son, and already at the age of 16 the latter was familiar with surgery, alchemy and therapy.

Learning and travel

At the age of 16, Paracelsus left his home forever and went to study in Basel. This educational institution is now considered the oldest in Switzerland. After graduating from the university, the future scientist becomes a student of Johann Trethemius. His teacher was an abbot, but he is now considered one of the greatest astrologers, magicians and alchemists in world history.

After studying with Abbot Johann Trethemius, Paracelsus went to Italy to study at the University of Ferrara. After completing the next training course, he received the title of Doctor of Medicine. In total, getting an education outside the home took the scientist about 7-10 years.

Since 1517, a medieval alchemist and physician has traveled the world to study alchemy, magic and medicine. He attended European universities for about 10 years, participated in military campaigns as a doctor, visited almost all European countries, and, according to rumors, was also in Africa. The alchemist collected information not only among doctors and scientists of that time. Most of the knowledge was obtained by Paracelsus while communicating with elderly healers, executioners, barbers, gypsies and Jews. It is known that he did not avoid communicating with witches, who were often declared midwives.

Such sources have not been used by other physicians. Thanks to this, Paracelsus' unique collection of recipes and medical knowledge, gathered around the world, made him a famous physician of the time. So, for example, a book on women's diseases was written after an exchange of experience with. Women did not want to trust their secrets to male doctors, preferring to be treated by women. Therefore, the medicine of witches and the treatment of women's diseases in general were secret knowledge available to a narrow circle of people.

Such connections could not go unnoticed. Critics often accused the doctor of drunkenness, vagrancy, and incompetence based on the reputation of the people with whom the scientist was seen. At the age of thirty-two, the alchemist returned to Germany, where he took up medical practice, applying the knowledge gained in his wanderings. After several cases of curing the sick, he immediately became famous, and gossip lost its meaning.

Medical and alchemist career

In 1526, the scientist Paracelsus became a burgher in Strasbourg, and in 1527 he moved to Basel. There he received the position of city doctor, as well as professor of physics, medicine and surgery. Lectures at the university brought high incomes, as did medical practice. The famous doctor gave lectures on medicine in German, which became a challenge to the entire education system, which obliged students to learn only in Latin.

However, such self-will was forgiven the ingenious doctor of the Middle Ages. The lectures of Paracelsus were not a repetition of the materials collected by Hippocrates and Avicenna. He shared knowledge that was collected personally. The professor was respected among students who wanted to gain practical knowledge, and some conservative colleagues were horrified by the lectures of the innovator. Especially when they learned about the sources from which the information was obtained.

In 1528, skirmishes with colleagues led to a conflict with the city authorities. Paracelsus was excommunicated from teaching. After that, he again went to travel, this time only in Europe. When Paracelsus visited Nuremberg, he faced accusations of fraud from his fellow physicians.

Paracelsus did not tolerate insults. He asked the city council to entrust him with the treatment of several patients whom the "specialists" who offended him considered hopeless. The Council commissioned the treatment of several people with elephantiasis. Paracelsus dealt with this in a short time. There are records of this in the city archives.

The following years, the scientist Paracelsus traveled, studied medicine, alchemy and astrology. He was engaged in the treatment of people and never left medical practice. After 1530, the scientist took up alchemical experiments and writing works that are popular even in our time.

last years of life

In the late 1930s, the scientist finally settled in Salzburg, finding an intercessor and patron in the person of Duke Erns, who invited him to this city, who was also interested in secret knowledge. In Salzburg, Paracelsus was able to devote himself entirely to research, experimentation and writing books. He lived in a house on the outskirts of the city. It housed a laboratory, as well as an office in which the doctor received patients.

On September 24, 1541, the greatest scientist died after a short illness in a small hotel room on the city's waterfront. Paracelsus left this world at only 48 years old. He was buried in the local cemetery.

The exact cause of death of the brilliant physician of the Middle Ages is unknown. Modern scientists consider murder out of envy to be the most truthful option. This version was put forward among the friends of Paracelsus. He had many enemies among doctors who were jealous of his success and extensive knowledge. It is believed that one of the envious hired an assassin who broke the doctor's skull. This resulted in death only a few days later.

Gnomes - Paracelsus first coined the term

The gnomes of Paracelsus were underground inhabitants. There is a version that this concept appeared as a result of an incorrect translation of the phrase "underground inhabitant" from the Greek language. Paracelsus described the gnomes as humanoid inhabitants of the dungeons. According to his treatises, gnomes are earth elementals.

Paracelsus wrote that the dwarf was two spans tall, which equals forty centimeters. These creatures are not too fond of contact with representatives of the human race. Since they are earth elementals, dwarves can move within the earth as freely as a human can move on its surface.

In the 18th century, after the death of Paracelsus, gnomes appear in the fiction of Europe. As a fairy-tale character, gnomes are popular in our time. In our time, a version is being expressed that the researcher of alchemy and magic called the gnomes of the pygmies.

"Everything is poison and everything is medicine" and other quotes by Paracelsus

Several quotes by Paracelsus have survived to this day. Even in our time, several hundred years later, they are not considered devoid of wisdom. Paracelsus' most famous quote goes like this:

Everything is poison and everything is medicine.

The greatest physician of his time had in mind that any substance can be a medicine in a certain situation, if the proportions in the preparation of the medicine are correctly observed. He was also known for his harsh statements about his colleagues, whom he considered unworthy of the title of doctor:

You, who have studied Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna, imagine that you know everything, while in reality you know nothing; you prescribe medicines but don't know how to prepare them! Chemistry alone can solve the problems of physiology, pathology, therapeutics; outside of chemistry you wander in the dark. You physicians of the whole world, Italians, Frenchmen, Greeks, Sarmatians, Arabs, Jews, must all follow me, and I must not follow you. If you don't cling to my banner in all sincerity, then it's not even worth being a place of defecation for dogs.

Paracelsus was rarely shy about protesting ancient medicine. While working as a lecturer at the university, he burned scientific papers with which he did not agree. After that, he lost his job.

The main goal of the doctor was to rid people of diseases:

The real purpose of alchemy is not to make gold, but to make medicine!

Medieval physician Paracelsus - books

In total, Paracelsus wrote 9 books, but only 3 of them were published during his lifetime. The first book of Paracelsus was called " Paragranum". In it, the author revealed the secrets of Kabbalah. He was engaged in the study of Kabbalism while still studying with the abbot after receiving his first higher education. This is how Paracelsus explained the importance of this science:

All physics, including all its particular sciences: astronomy, astrology, pyromancy, haomancy, hydromancy, geomancy, alchemy... - they are all matrices of the noble science of Kabbalistics.

« Paramirum"- the next book of Paracelsus, which tells about the origin of diseases and the features of each of them. In it, he shared all his knowledge about the nature of the human body and the treatment of various diseases. Now this work is considered medical-philosophical.

The next books were Labyrinth of misguided doctors" and " Chronicle of Cartinia". In the first book, Paracelsus described his views in detail, not too embarrassed in expressions. In addition, at the end of life, the works " Philosophy" and " Hidden Philosophy", as well as " great astronomy". In the last book, Paracelsus describes, including gnomes.

What was the medicine of Paracelsus

Paracelsus made a significant contribution to medicine. The first medicines were invented by alchemists, and he was one of the first. Paracelsus became the founder iatrochemistry- a science that combined chemistry and medicine. Simply put, his main goal was to invent and test prescriptions for drugs. Only in the 16th century, thanks to Paracelsus and his followers, did such a trend arise, which for a long time was attributed to alchemy, and not medicine.

Paracelsus taught that all living organisms are composed of chemicals in a certain proportion. If these proportions are violated, it leads to illness. Chemical means can restore the balance of substances in the human body. An interesting fact - it was Paracelsus who gave the name to zinc. He became the first doctor who used gold, antimony and mercury in the treatment of patients.

The ideas of ancient medicine, which were practically of no use, were severely criticized. Paracelsus tried to introduce new methods of treating patients, for which he was not loved by his colleagues. He is considered one of the founders of medicine as a science. Humanity also owes the present state of medicine and pharmacology to Paracelsus.

Paracelsus model- one of the forms of medical ethics that he outlined and concerned the relationship between doctor and patient. Paracelsus tried to convey to the readers of his works the importance of the depth of contact between the patient and the doctor, as well as the ability of the latter to take into account the individual characteristics of the personality of the patient he is treating. Therefore, Paracelsus is also considered the founder of empirical mental treatment.

The doctor and the alchemist are called not only the wisest physician of the Middle Ages, but also an outstanding magician and esotericist. He was often compared to Luther, who was also a pioneer, but in religion. True, Paracelsus did not like this comparison. It was believed that he knew the secret of the philosopher's stone, and he had a personally prepared copy. He was credited with the ability to turn metals into gold and heal any disease.

In general, there are many legends about Paracelsus. His personality is somewhat mysterious, but interesting information for a modern person can be gleaned from the biography of the famous medieval surgeon.

In contact with

“Everything is poison, and nothing is without poison; only one dose makes the poison invisible, ”said one of the greatest scientists of the 16th century, Paracelsus. His real name is Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim - born on September 21, 1493, the city of Eg, canton of Schwyz, died, in full accordance with my hypothesis (), - September 24, 1541 Salzburg.
According to Paracelsus, everything in the world has only one source - the "great mystery" - Misterium Magnum, from which everything arises and to which everything returns. Everything that is available to our eyes is only a small part of reality, its most rough material component. The world is diverse, complex and full of secrets. It is impossible to comprehend the laws of the universe and one's own existence by the forces of the mind, in the course of scientific work alone. Nevertheless, man, as a being endowed with a divine soul, is capable and entitled to any knowledge: there is no forbidden and hidden knowledge. As, however, this is also said in the Bible - "For there is nothing hidden that would not be made manifest, nor hidden that would not be made known and would not be revealed" (Luke 8:16-17).
Man is a microcosm in which all the elements of the macrocosm are reflected. Paracelsus believed that man is like the Universe with its own laws, with its own firmament. The "small cosmos" is closely connected with the entire Universe - the large cosmos. The connecting link between the two worlds is the power of "M" (either Misterium Magnumс, or this is the name of the god Mercury - in Ancient Rome, Hermes Trismegistus was known as Mercury).
Man is the quintessence, or the fifth, true essence of the world) and is produced by God from the “exhaust” of the whole world and therefore carries the image of the Creator. therefore, a person who has known the Highest can command the earth and the stars.”
According to the teachings of Paracelsus, a person is dual in nature: “If a person is like his animal father, then he is like an animal; if he is like the Divine Spirit, which can illumine his animal elements, then he is like God.” The natural man has the earth element, the earth is his mother, and into her he returns, losing his natural flesh; but the true man will be reborn on the day of resurrection in another, spiritual and glorified body. Spiritual reality is the original reality, to which sooner or later everything must return. As any natural metal, according to the then prevailing alchemical ideas, tends to become gold, so a person strives to return to Materia Spiritualis, "spiritual matter", through the complete transformation of his entire being.
"That which is below is analogous to that which is above. And that which is above is analogous to that which is below, in order to accomplish the miracles of the one thing," as it is said in the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus. Paracelsus sought to develop this principle in his teaching and practice, which at that time was called iatrochemistry (from the ancient Greek doctor) - a branch of alchemy of the 16th-17th centuries, which set as its main goal the preparation of medicines.
Paracelsus was sure that the laws of the universe are similar to the laws of the microcosm, therefore, analogies and parallels can be found between the universe and man. Man's knowledge of his soul gives him power over nature. Self-knowledge is the key to knowing the universe. This approach goes back to the ideas of the ancient Greeks: "Know thyself" - reads the inscription on the temple of Apollo at Delphi. It is believed that this inscription arose as an answer to the question of the sage Chilo: "What is the best thing for people?"
Paracelsus warned that the power that is revealed in self-knowledge should not be used to accumulate earthly wealth. This power is given to obtain spiritual gold.
Paracelsus believed in the limitlessness of human possibilities in the knowledge of the world. “People do not know themselves and therefore do not know what exists in their inner world. Each person has a divine essence (essence), all the wisdom and power of the world are embedded in him in the bud, all kinds of knowledge are available to him in equal measure; and if someone has not discovered this in himself, he has no right to say that he does not possess this, but only that he was not able to seek and find it.
There is nothing forbidden for human knowledge, a person is able and even obliged to explore all phenomena, all essences that exist not only in nature, but also outside it. “It is necessary to seek and knock, turning to the almighty Power within us, and keep it awake; and if we do it in the right way and with a pure, open heart, we will receive what we ask for and find what we seek, and the doors of the Eternal that were closed will open before us ... ". These thoughts are a direct development of biblical truths: The Gospel of Matthew (ch. 7, v. 7-8) says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” The same is said in the Gospel of Luke (ch. 11, v. 9): “And I will tell you: ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
It was Paracelsus (and not Tolkien) who coined the word "dwarf" for a fantastic creature of small size and gave the name to the metal zinc.

"Everything is a medicine, and everything is a poison - it's all about the dose" - said Hippocrates. “Everything is poison, nothing is devoid of poison, only one dose makes the poison invisible,” Paracelsus echoed him. We, worrying about the fall of the ruble, are surprised to learn that the United States and Trump, who arranged this "poverty festival" for us, are not happy with the effect. Because in this case, it is not the reduction, but the increase in the dose that makes the poison a medicine. Painful for the Russian Federation, the process of depreciation of the national currency is good in small doses. If he is an example of a Homeric character, then, under other prevailing conditions, he will simply separate the Russian economy from the West. A further discrepancy between the purchasing power and the speculatively deduced value of the ruble makes the Russian Federation an "alternative universe" ...

Let's say there is some kind of super-large Orlov diamond. And it is very, very expensive. And if so, then he lies to himself in the museum, and neither I nor you even think of buying it. We live our lives - and the stone "Eagles" ours. We have long learned to do without it in everyday life and calculations ...

Weeping over the fact that "Orlov" is not available with our income - it seems absurd. If the dollar or the euro reaches the value of the Orlov diamond, they will simply go out of use. They will lie in the museum - and we will live our lives. Without huge diamonds, without dollar and euro...

It is not only the depraved Russian "elite" who has tightly tied herself to foreign trips that is afraid of such an alignment. It is true that these creatures, who cannot imagine life without holidays in London, tremble. However, the forces behind Trump, who have nominated him as a figure of renewal of the dilapidated American empire, also tremble.

And now - while "Echo of Moscow" is hysterical about the inability of the Russian authorities to keep the ruble - US President Donald Trump suddenly ... accused Russia and China of "playing currency devaluation." He saw in the fall of the ruble not a catastrophe in the consumption of Russians, but an increase in the competitiveness of a Russian manufacturer!

How much is a dollar worth? How much is the euro? How much is the ruble? The correct answer is they cost as much as they cost. And this is not a tautology. If racketeers stop you on a deserted highway and sell you a brick for 100 thousand rubles, then in this situation the brick costs 100 thousand rubles. In a different setting, a brick does not cost so much, yes. Is there a problem with purchasing power parity? Yes. But at night on the highway, surrounded by an armed gang, a brick really costs 100 thousand rubles. If you pay that much, then it's worth that much. This is the market situation.

Every item is worth as much as they buy. And it doesn’t matter in what ways the sellers got your consent: by cunning, forgery, by putting a soldering iron in your anus or something else. If you agreed to buy a brick for 100 thousand rubles (one piece of the most banal building brick) - it means that a gang of racketeers managed to impose their own rules of the game on you. Yes, during the day, far from the place of blackmail, a brick will cost you 5 rubles, exactly the same as this one. On the subject of purchasing power parity...

But the market is not built on purchasing power parities. It is not built on fair equivalent exchanges. It is based on the situations created by the participants in the transaction. And if a situation has been created for you in which you buy a dollar five times more expensive than all the products that you can buy with this dollar, then this is the will of the market.

We ourselves, instead of building currency exchange on a rational and controlled assessment of purchasing power, have created an idiotic situation of exchange trading, free from both honesty and common sense. In this situation, a "perpetual motion machine" works: the panic of the population increases the price of the currency, and the growth of the price of the currency increases the panic of the population. The higher the panic of the population, the more expensive the currency, and the more expensive the currency, the greater the panic of the population rushing after it.

In the end, we have what we have. But only until the dollar (and the euro), like a jet-powered elevator, breaks through the roof and flies into outer space. And if it flies away to the beyond, becoming absolutely inaccessible to the population, then its meaning and significance on the territory of the Russian Federation will disappear.

Why do I, a Ufa citizen born in 1966, need an American dollar in 1980? What would I do with him in Ufa? Not wanting to risk getting into currency speculation, I would have tried to get rid of the dollar in 1980 as soon as possible. And that's okay, you know? This is a sovereign country - on which only its money has the right to walk, and not the devil ...

If the authorities of the Russian Federation, mired in luxury and incompetence, do not want to return this normal, sovereign order (one power, one country, one currency), then the cosmic growth of the dollar and the euro can do it for them. When superprices will lead the currency to the final absurdity - and it will fall out of use. And they will, as before, sell Vanya bread for rubles, and Petya Vanya - fabrics also for rubles. And the dollar has nothing to do with it. It's not about us. Does American imperialism need this? No. For him, this is more terrible than terrible ...

Trump (not himself, but the members of the Politburo standing behind him) understands that a very expensive dollar is not only the prestige of the empire, but also the death of the American real sector of the economy. At the current price of the dollar, there is no good that would be profitable to produce in the United States. All industries are curtailed and go to places where labor is cheap, raw materials and energy are cheaper, and costs are lower. Every American (and European) product becomes "gold".

From here, Trump is outraged: “Russia and China are playing currency devaluation as the US continues to raise interest rates. Unacceptably!" he wrote.

And in the end, the American president ordered to stop the introduction of new anti-Russian sanctions, the Washington Post reports, citing sources.

Trump consulted with national security advisers Sunday evening and told them that he was upset that the sanctions were officially announced because he did not yet feel confident about imposing them.

Earlier, the US Permanent Representative to the UN, Nikki Haley, announced new sanctions against Russia due to the situation in Syria. According to her, the US authorities should have announced these restrictive measures on Monday. She also stated that companies that supplied Syria with technologies that contributed to the creation of chemical weapons will fall under the restrictions.

In the US, intelligent strategists understand that by squeezing the lever of the fall of the ruble to the stop, they are pushing Russia towards IMPORT SUBSTITUTION with their own hands. That is, they strengthen the enemy, thinking of weakening him.

If the dollar and the euro are too expensive, then their high cost will turn from poison into economic medicine. They will go out of use in the same way as if their circulation was banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.

They will turn into a kind of Orlov diamond, which, of course, exists, and costs as much as it costs, and can, theoretically, be bought - but it is absolutely not needed in everyday life (because they have learned to do without it).

That is why the very United States, which did everything for the catastrophe of the ruble, suddenly rushes to the other extreme and tries to strengthen the ruble.

When the fisherman sees that the fish is about to break the line, he loosens the pull, releases the line, lengthens the leash. The main thing is that the fish that has swallowed the hook of "free currency conversion" does not get off the hook. The fisherman leads her from side to side, gradually tiring her.

This is what is actually happening with the controversial actions of the United States.

Poisons have been used from ancient times to the present as a weapon, antidote, and even medicine.

In fact, poisons are all around us, in drinking water, in household items and even in our blood.

The word "poison" is used to describe any substance that can cause a dangerous disorder in the body.

Even in small amounts, poison can lead to poisoning and death.

Here are some examples of some of the most insidious poisons that can be fatal to humans.

Many poisons can be lethal in small doses, making it difficult to isolate the most dangerous one. However, many experts agree that botulinum toxin, which is used in Botox injections to smooth wrinkles is the strongest.

Botulism is a serious disease leading to paralysis caused by botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This poison causes damage to the nervous system, respiratory arrest and death in terrible agony.

Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, double vision, weakness of the facial muscles, speech defects, difficulty swallowing other. The bacterium can enter the body through food (usually poorly preserved foods) and through open wounds.

2. Poison ricin

Ricin is a natural poison. To kill an adult, a few grains are enough. Ricin kills cells in the human body by preventing the production of the proteins it needs, resulting in organ failure. A person can become poisoned by ricin through inhalation or after ingestion.

If inhaled, symptoms of poisoning usually appear 8 hours after exposure, and include breathing difficulties, fever, cough, nausea, sweating, and chest tightness.

If swallowed, symptoms appear in less than 6 hours and include nausea and diarrhea (possibly with blood), low blood pressure, hallucinations, and seizures. Death can occur in 36-72 hours.

3. Sarin gas

Sarin is one of most dangerous and deadly nerve gases, which is hundreds of times more toxic than cyanide. Sarin was originally produced as a pesticide, but this clear, odorless gas soon became a powerful chemical weapon.

A person can become poisoned by sarin through inhalation or exposure of the gas to the eyes and skin. Initially, symptoms such as runny nose and tightness in the chest, breathing is difficult and nausea occurs.

The person then loses control of all body functions and falls into a coma, with convulsions and spasms until suffocation occurs.

4. Tetrodotoxin

This deadly poison found in the organs of fish of the genus Pufferfish, from which the famous Japanese delicacy "fugu" is prepared. Tetrodotoxin persists in the skin, liver, intestines and other organs, even after the fish has been cooked.

This toxin causes paralysis, convulsions, mental disorder and other symptoms. Death occurs within 6 hours after the poison is ingested.

Every year, several people are known to die of agonizing death from tetrodotoxin poisoning after consuming fugu.

5. Potassium cyanide

Potassium cyanide is one of the fastest deadly poisons known to mankind. It may be in the form of crystals and colorless gas with a "bitter almond" odor. Cyanide can be found in some foods and plants. It is found in cigarettes and is used to make plastic, photographs, extract gold from ore, and kill unwanted insects.

Cyanide has been used since ancient times, and in the modern world it has been a form of capital punishment. Poisoning can occur by inhalation, ingestion, and even touching, causing symptoms such as convulsions, respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death which may come in a few minutes. It kills by binding to iron in blood cells, rendering them unable to carry oxygen.

6. Mercury and mercury poisoning

There are three forms of mercury that can be potentially hazardous: elemental, inorganic, and organic. elemental mercury, which found in mercury thermometers, old fillings and fluorescent lights, non-toxic when touched, but may be lethal if inhaled.

Inhalation of mercury vapor (the metal quickly turns into a gas at room temperature) affects lungs and brain shutting down the central nervous system.

Inorganic mercury, which is used to make batteries, can be fatal if ingested, cause kidney damage and other symptoms. Organic mercury, found in fish and seafood, is usually dangerous with long-term exposure. Symptoms of poisoning may include memory loss, blindness, seizures, and others.

7. Strychnine and strychnine poisoning

Strychnine is a white, bitter, odorless crystalline powder that can be ingested, inhaled, in solution, and administered intravenously.

The degree of strychnine poisoning depends on the amount and route of entry into the body, but a small amount of this poison is enough to cause a serious condition. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle spasms, respiratory failure and even lead to brain death 30 minutes after exposure.

8. Arsenic and arsenic poisoning

Arsenic, which is the 33rd element in the periodic table, has long been synonymous with poison. It has often been used as a favorite poison in political assassinations, as arsenic poisoning resembled cholera symptoms.

Arsenic is considered a heavy metal with properties similar to those of lead and mercury. In high concentrations, it can lead to symptoms of poisoning such as abdominal pain, convulsions, coma and death. In small amounts, it can contribute to a number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

9. Poison curare

Curare is a mixture of various South American plants that have been used for poison arrows. Curare has been used medicinally in a highly diluted form. The main poison is an alkaloid, which causes paralysis and death, as well as strychnine and hemlock. However, after paralysis of the respiratory system occurs, the heart may continue to beat.

Death from curare is slow and painful, as the victim remains conscious but unable to move or speak. However, if artificial respiration is applied before the poison settles, the person can be saved. The Amazon tribes used curare to hunt animals, but the poisoned animal meat was not dangerous to those who consumed it.

10. Batrachotoxin

Fortunately, the chances of encountering this poison are very small. Batrachotoxin, found in the skin of tiny poison dart frogs, is one of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world.

The frogs themselves do not produce poison, it accumulates from the foods they consume, mostly small bugs. The most dangerous content of the poison was found in a species of frog terrible leaf climber living in Colombia.

One representative contains enough batrachotoxin to kill two dozen people or several elephants. I affects the nerves, especially around the heart, makes it difficult to breathe and quickly leads to death.