Oleander
Prepared by:
Dr Faisal Naeem Bandesha
M.Phil. Scholar
Forensic Medicine & Toxicology
OLEANDER (KANER)
• Is a cardiac poison.
• Oleanders act like digitalis; toxic doses can produce malignant dysrhythmias,
cardiac failure, cardiac arrest, and convulsions.
• The oleander plant grows wild.
• Grow as a shrub in temperate and subtropical areas.
• Used for ornamental or landscaping purposes.
• All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Nerium Odorum Cerbera Thevetia
White Oleander Yellow Oleander
Feature Nerium Odorum
White Oleander
Other Name
White Kaner
Active Nerin: Consisting of three glycosides:
Principle Neriodorin, Neriodorein, karabin.
Root: 15–20 g.
Fatal Dose
Leaves: 5–15.
Fatal Period 24 hour
Sign & Symptoms
Local Contact Dermatitis
Inhalation Headache, dizziness, respiratory difficulty and nausea.
Vomiting, Abdominal Pain, Frothy Salivation, Difficulty in swallowing and articulation.
Later: Restlessness, Muscular twitchings, Tetanic spasms and Lock jaw. Slow and weak Pulse, Rapid
Ingestion
respiration, blood pressure falls, and there is fibrillation and AV block.
Followed by exhaustion, drowsiness, coma, respiratory paralysis and death from heart failure.
Gastric lavage.
Administration of an anesthetic is usually necessary.
Treatment
Morphine injection seems to be beneficial.
Symptomatic treatment.
Non-specific findings.
PM Findings Petechial hemorrhage on the heart is a characteristic feature.
Organs are congested.
Suicide is common among village girls, using it as a paste or decoction.
Used as an abortifacient, applied both locally and internally.
Homicide is rare.
Accidental poisoning is sometimes met with when decoction is used:
Externally to reduce swelling.
ML Aspect As a remedy for venereal diseases.
As a love-philtre (increases attraction between the giver and taker).
For treatment of cancer and ulcers.
Used as cattle poison.
Nerium odorum resists heat and can therefore be detected even from the burnt remains of the dead
body.
Feature Cerbera Thevetia
Yellow Oleander
Other Name
Pila Kaner
Glycosides: Thevetin, Thevotoxin, Cerberin and Peruvoside.
Active Thevetin is a powerful cardiac poison.
Principle Thevotoxin is less toxic than thevetin and resembles the glycosides of digitalis in action.
Cerberin acts like strychnine.
Root: 15–20 g.
Fatal Dose
Seeds: 8–10.
Fatal Period 2-3 hour
Sign & Symptoms
Local Sap of plant may cause inflammation.
Burning sensation in the mouth with tingling of the tongue. Dryness of throat, vomiting,
diarrhea, headache, dizziness, dilated pupils, drowsiness and loss of muscular power. Rapid, weak and
Ingestion
Irregular pulse, blood pressure falls.
Heart block, collapse and death is due to peripheral circulatory failure.
Gastric lavage. Single-dose activated charcoal is beneficial and safe.
Molar solution of sodium lactate IV and 5% glucose to combat acidosis.
Atropine 1 mg, 2 ml of adrenaline 1:1000 and 2 mg of noradrenaline (if blood pressure is low) to
Treatment
counteract heart block.
Digoxin-specific antibody fragments is effective in reverting life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
Symptomatic treatment.
Non-specific.
i. Signs of GIT irritation may be seen.
PM Findings ii. Stomach and duodenum may be congested and
may show fragments of seeds.
iii. Congestion of visceral organs are seen.
ML Aspect Same as Nerium odorum.
