Strychnine
Formula	C21H22N2O2
LD50	1 mg/kg
Molecular mass	334.41 g/mol
CAS number	57-24-9
SMILES	[H][C@]([C@@](C(C=CC=C7) =C7N34)5[C@H]6N(CC5)C2)3 [C@@]1([H])[C@@H](C6)[C@] 2=CCO[C@H]1CC4=O

Strychnine (pronounced /'strɪkniːn/ (British, U.S.), /-naɪn/ or /-nɪn/ (U.S.)) is a very toxic (LD₅₀ = 10 mg approx.), colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as rodents. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia or sheer exhaustion. The most common source is from the seeds of the Strychnos nux vomica tree. Strychnine is one of the most bitter substances known. Its taste is detectable in concentrations as low as 1 ppm. An LD50 test being administered In toxicology, the LD50 or colloquially semilethal dose of a particular substance is a measure of how much constitutes a lethal dose. ... The molecular mass (abbreviated Mr) of a substance, formerly also called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW, is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences and alloys. ... The simplified molecular input line entry specification or SMILES is a specification for unambiguously describing the structure of chemical molecules using short ASCII strings. ... Chemical structure of Strychnine Selfmade by cacycle There is wrong double bond position --Mykhal 23:03, 14 Aug 2004 (UTC) Thanks, I have corrected the image Cacycle 15:50, 4 Nov 2004 (UTC) File links The following pages link to this file: Strychnine Wikipedia:WikiProject Drugs/Structural diagrams Wikipedia:WikiProject... The symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet can be used to show pronounciation in English. ... An LD50 test being administered In toxicology, the LD50 or colloquially semilethal dose of a particular substance is a measure of how much constitutes a lethal dose. ... Chemical structure of ephedrine, a phenethylamine alkaloid An alkaloid is, strictly speaking, a naturally occurring amine produced by a plant,[1] but amines produced by animals and fungi are also called alkaloids. ... A cropduster spreading pesticide. ... Classes and Clades See below Male and female Superb Fairy-wren Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata (within the phylum Chordata), specifically, those chordates with backbones or spinal columns. ... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents. ... Suffocation redirects here, for the band, see Suffocation (band). ... Binomial name Strychnos nux-vomica Linnaeus The Strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica) also known as Nux vomica, is an evergreen tree native to southeast Asia, a member of family Loganiaceae. ... Parts per million (ppm) is a measure of concentration that is used where low levels of concentration are significant. ...

Strychnine acts as a blocker or antagonist at the inhibitory or strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor (GlyR), a ligand-gated chloride channel in the spinal cord and the brain. Antagonists In medicine and biology, a receptor antagonist is a ligand that inhibits the function of an agonist and inverse agonist for a specific receptor. ... The Glycine receptor is one of the most widely distributed inhibitory receptors in the Central nervous system. ... In chemistry, a ligand is an atom, ion, or molecule (see also: functional group) that generally donates one or more of its electrons through a coordinate covalent bond to, or shares its electrons through a covalent bond with, one or more central atoms or ions (these ligands act as a... The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion (negatively-charged ion) Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. ... The Spinal cord nested in the vertebral column. ... Italic text // ahh addiing sum spiice iin hurr`` For other uses, see Brain (disambiguation). ...

Strychnine poisoning in humans

Strychnine poisoning can be fatal to humans and can be introduced to the body by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through eyes or mouth. It produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known toxic reaction. For this reason, strychnine poisoning is often used in literature and film.

Ten to twenty minutes after exposure, the body's muscles begin to spasm, starting with the head and neck. The spasms then spread to every muscle in the body, with nearly continuous convulsions, and get worse at the slightest stimulus. The convulsions progress, increasing in intensity and frequency until the backbone arches continually. Death comes from asphyxiation caused by paralysis of the neural pathways that control breathing, or by exhaustion from the convulsions. The patient frequently dies within 2–3 hours after exposure. At the point of death, the body "freezes" immediately, even in the middle of a convulsion, resulting in instantaneous rigor mortis. A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse [1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

There is no specific antidote for strychnine. Treatment of strychnine poisoning involves an oral application of an activated charcoal infusion which serves to absorb any poison within the digestive tract that has not yet been absorbed into the blood. Anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital or diazepam are administered to control convulsions, along with muscle relaxants such as dantrolene to combat muscle rigidity.^[1] If the patient survives past 24 hours, recovery is probable. Activated carbon from a water filter used for carbon filtering in powder and block form Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal or activated coal, is a general term which covers carbon material mostly derived from charcoal. ... Phenobarbital (also phenobarbitone) (Luminal®) is a weak acid with the chemical formula C12H12N2O3. ... Diazepam (IPA: ), marketed under brand names Valium, Stesolid, Diazemuls, Seduxen, Bosaurin, Diapam, Antenex, Ducene, Apozepam and Pax (South Africa))[1] is a drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. ... Dantrolene sodium is a muscle relaxant that is currently the only specific and effective treatment for malignant hyperthermia. ...

Small doses of strychnine were once used in medications as a stimulant, a laxative and as a treatment for other stomach ailments. Strychnine has stimulant effects at low doses but because of its high toxicity and tendency to cause convulsions the use of strychnine in medicine was eventually abandoned once safer alternatives became available. Stimulants are drugs that temporarily increase alertness and wakefulness. ... Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements, most often taken to treat constipation. ...

The dosage for medical use was cited as between "1/60th grain–1/10th grain", which is between 1.1 milligrams and 6.4 milligrams in modern measures. Normally the maximum dosage used was 3.2 mg, half of a "full dose".^[2] A lethal dose was cited as 1/2 a grain (32 mg), but people have been known to die from as little as 5 mg of strychnine.

The treatment for strychnine poisoning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was to administer tannic acid which precipitates the strychnine as an insoluble tannate salt, and then to anaesthetise the patient with chloroform until the effects of the strychnine had worn off. This is a bottle of tannic acid. ... Anesthesia or anaesthesia (see spelling differences) has traditionally meant the condition of having the perception of pain and other sensations blocked. ... R-phrases , , , S-phrases , Flash point Non-flammable U.S. Permissible exposure limit (PEL) 50 ppm (240 mg/m3) (OSHA) Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ...

Strychnine poisoning in animals

Strychnine poisoning in animals occurs usually from ingestion of baits designed for use against rodents (especially gophers and moles) and coyotes. Rodent baits are commonly available over-the-counter, but coyote baits are illegal in the United States. However, since 1990 in the United States most baits containing strychnine have been replaced with zinc phosphide baits.^[3] The most common domestic animal to be affected is the dog, either through accidental ingestion or intentional poisoning. An approximate lethal dose for a dog is 0.75 mg per kg body weight.^[4] For a 0.3% strychnine bait, five grams could be enough to kill a twenty kilogram dog. A gopher is a small burrowing rodent. ... Genera 17 genera, see text Moles are members of the family (Talpidae) of mammals in the order Soricomorpha that live underground, burrowing holes. ... Binomial name Say, 1823 Coyote range The coyote (Canis latrans, meaning barking dog) also prairie wolf [2]) is a member of the Canidae (dog) family and a close relative of the Gray Wolf. ... Zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) is an inorganic chemical compound. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... The milligram (symbol mg) is an SI unit of mass. ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et...

The onset of symptoms is 10 to 120 minutes after ingestion.^[4] Symptoms include seizures, a "sawhorse" stance, and opisthotonus (rigid extension of all four limbs). Death is usually secondary to respiratory paralysis. Treatment is by detoxification using activated charcoal, pentobarbital for the symptoms, and artificial respiration for apnea. This article is about the medical term, epileptic seizure, as distinct from a non-epileptic seizure. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The words Opisthotonos or opisthotonus stem from the Greek language, opistho for behind and tonos for tension. ... Pentobarbital is a short acting barbiturate that is available as both a free acid and a sodium salt, the former of which is only slightly soluble in water and ethanol. ... Wikibooks has a book on the topic of First Aid Artificial respiration is a technique for providing air for a person who is not breathing on their own, but whose heart is still beating. ... Apnea (British spelling - apnoea) (Greek απνοια, from α-, privative, πνεειν, to breathe) is a technical term for suspension of external breathing. ...

Strychnine in drugs

There is a common but false urban legend that strychnine is added to drugs like LSD or that strychnine is present in the peyote cactus. The dose of LSD is so small that it could not be mixed with a toxic amount of strychnine, even if strychnine made up an entire blotter square. See: Strychnine in LSD? (Erowid) An urban legend or urban myth is similar to a modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Genera See Taxonomy of the Cactaceae A cactus (plural cacti, cactuses or cactus) is any member of the succulent plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas. ...

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards claims that his worst experience with drugs was when someone put strychnine in his dope. "It was in Switzerland. I was totally comatose but I was totally awake. I could listen to everyone, and they were like, 'He's dead, he's dead!', waving their fingers and pushing me about, and I was thinking, 'I'm not dead!'," he recalled.^[5] This article is about the rock band. ... Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones in 1962. ...

Trivia

• In the 1904 Olympics, Thomas Hicks (USA) won the marathon at St. Louis and collapsed. It took hours to revive him; he had taken brandy mixed with strychnine to help him win his gold medal. ^[6]

• Used by Norman Bates in Psycho to kill his mother and her lover.

• A tonic laced with arsenic and strychnine that was religiously given to legendary racehorse Phar Lap may have caused his death. ^[7]

• Strychnine was used in several of the murders committed by serial killer Thomas Neill Cream, who poisoned prostitutes on the streets of London.

• Famous Delta Blues legend Robert Johnson's whiskey bottle was laced with strychnine, resulting in pneumonia.

• One of Vincent Van Gogh's wives, Margot Begemann, attempted suicide by ingestion of strychnine.

participants The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, were held in St. ... Thomas J. Hicks (January 7, 1875 – December 2, 1963) was an American track and field athlete, winner of the Olympic marathon in 1904. ... Modern-day marathon runners Runners in ancient Greece. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A bottle of calvados Pays DAuge Brandy (short for brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn—burnt wine[1]) is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40–60% ethyl alcohol by volume. ... Gold Medal is an album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004. ... Norman Bates is a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch as the central character in his novel Psycho. ... Psycho is a 1960 suspense/horror film directed by auteur Alfred Hitchcock from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano about a psychotic killer. ... General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Standard atomic weight 74. ... For the computer software, see: Phar Lap (company). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Delta blues are named for the Mississippi Delta. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Vincent Willem van Gogh (Dutch pronunciation: ) (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.portfolio.mvm.ed.ac.uk/studentwebs/session2/group12/strychni.htm
2. ^ http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/potter-comp/strychnos-nux.html
3. ^ Ettinger, Stephen J.;Feldman, Edward C. (1995). Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 4th ed., W.B. Saunders Company. ISBN 0-7216-6795-3. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Beasley, V. (1999). Toxicants Associated with Seizures. Veterinary Toxicology. Retrieved on 2006-06-18.
5. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=446543&in_page_id=1773
6. ^ McGuire, John M. (April 25, 2004), "Marathon set the pace for St. Louis Olympics", St. Louis Post-Dispatch
7. ^ Cormick, Brendan (2006-10-24). Potion drove Phar Lap to victory and death. Horse Racing News. allhorseracing.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-24.

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The St. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 190 days remaining. ...

External links