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Toxicology Practical 17

This document discusses the cardiac poison aconite, which comes from the Aconitum nephalus plant. The roots contain the active toxin aconitine. Ingesting as little as 3-5 mg of the root can be fatal, with death occurring within 1-3 hours due to respiratory failure caused by central nervous system and medullary depression. Symptoms include numbness, muscle spasms, convulsions, and alternation of pupil size, leading to cardiac and respiratory failure.

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37 views1 page

Toxicology Practical 17

This document discusses the cardiac poison aconite, which comes from the Aconitum nephalus plant. The roots contain the active toxin aconitine. Ingesting as little as 3-5 mg of the root can be fatal, with death occurring within 1-3 hours due to respiratory failure caused by central nervous system and medullary depression. Symptoms include numbness, muscle spasms, convulsions, and alternation of pupil size, leading to cardiac and respiratory failure.

Uploaded by

hamza
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Forensic Toxicology – Practical #17

CARDIAC POISON (ACONITE)


Synonym
• Mank`s hood
• Meetha zahar
• Meetha laish

Botanical name
• Aconitum nephalus

Identification
• Light brown in color

Poisonous part
• All parts of plants are poisonous but roots are used for this propose
• Roots are conical in shape with shriveled appearance

Active principle
• Aconitine

Fatal dose
• 3 – 5 mg/1g of root

Fatal period
• 3 – 5 minutes to 01 hour (depends upon dose)

Mechanism of action
• Initially stimulates CNS
• Then depress the CNS & PNS
• Higher mental functions remain intact
• Medullary depression causes the respiratory failure (impairs cellular respiration
and death occurs)

Sign & Symptoms


• Alternate papillary constriction and dilation
• Paresthesia and numbness
• Muscle spasm, convulsions to paralysis
• Death due to cardiac respiratory failure

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