Opium is a grey mass with bitter taste, obtained on drying the milky latex of unripe seed capsule of poppy plant, Papaver somniferum.
The opium is usually collected after all the flower petals have fallen off from the capsule, by making slits along its circumference, allowing the milky latex to ooze out and harden.
After the plastic gummy opium is removed, it can be refined into heroin, morphine, and codeine.
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Botanical Name: Papaver somniferum.
Common Name: White poppy plant.
It is an herb growing up to 1 meter in height. The leaves are oblong, irregularly toothed, and slightly lobed. Flowers are large and may be bluish-white, purple, or white in color. Each plant bears 5-10 capsules.
Unripe fruit capsule, which yields the latex, juice on incision. The opium is collected after all the flower petals have fallen off. Slits are made along the circumference of the seed capsule allowing the milky latex to ooze out and harden.
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Alcohols are hydroxyl derivatives of aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Monohydroxy alcohols — It has only one hydroxyl group and includes:
Dihydroxy alcohols — These have two hydroxyl groups and often called as glycols.
Tryhydroxy alcohols — These are not really alcohols, but their derivatives, such as the propane derivative, glycerol or glycerine.
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In a pure form ethyl alcohol is transparent, colorless, volatile liquid, having a spirituous odor and burning taste. It is both water-soluble and lipid soluble.
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Ethanol is obtained by fermentation of sugars, molasses, grains, fruit juices and starch. It is a complex enzymic process.
The enzymes are obtained from yeast. It is carried out under controlled conditions.
The final fermented mass contains about 10% alcohol. It is then purified by distillation.
Absolute alcohol or alcohol dehydratum (contains 99.95% ethyl alcohol by volume).
Rectified spirit (contains 90% ethyl alcohol by volume).
Industrial methylated spirit or denatured alcohol (contains 95% ethyl alcohol and 5% wood naphtha by volume).
Surgical spirit: It refers to methylated spirit which contains in addition small amounts of castor oil and oil of Wintergreen (methyl salicylate).
Alcoholic beverages: The active ingredient of all beverages/ liquors is alcohol.
Proof spirit: It refers to a standard mixture alcohol and water of relative density.
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Absorption of ethyl alcohol is mainly from the stomach (20%) and intestine (80%).
It commences almost immediately after ingestion within 5 minutes and is completed within one to two and half an hour of ingestion.
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Direct depressive effect of brainstem
Direct depressive effect of respiratory center
Aspiration of the vomit, choking (Café coronary), drowning, etc
Severe bleeding from trivial trauma, esp. subdural/ epidural intracranial hemorrhages Irreversible complications of brain and liver damage
Poisoning by various toxic substances present in cheap industrial/ illicit alcoholic.
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It comprises throbbing headache, irritability, lethargy, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.
While the abdominal discomfort is due to alcoholic gastritis, the other symptoms are due to the effect of congeners and other impurities present in the alcoholic beverages consumed, which causes mild cerebral edema.
The hangover manifestations may also be partly due to alcohol-induced hypoglycemia.
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If the victim does not recover from a coma within 5 hours, the prognosis is worse and may result in a fatality, due to asphyxia or shock.
It is appropriate to mention here that stage VII (Death) is extremely rare with ingestion of pure ethanol.
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Chloral hydrate is a sedative (induces calming effect on CNS) and hypnotic (induces sleep).
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Long-acting:
Intermediate-acting:
Short-acting:
Ultra-short acting:
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Central Nervous System Effects
Pulmonary Effects
Cardiovascular Effects
Mortality/Morbidity
Pregnancy
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The pesticide hazards include not only hazards to human health but also hazardous to a rural environment, pest resistance and resurgence, and impact on food.
Pesticides can result in cancer, birth defects, endocrine disruption, immunosuppression, allergies, and decreased fertility with chronic exposures.
Organochlorines (OC) are cerebral poisons.
These are also used as insecticide agents at home, garden and agricultural fields, which were popular once, now they are phasing out all over the world due to its cumulative effect and health hazards.
These are insoluble in water. DDT is a volatile solid (slow of course) having a faint odor.
It is highly soluble in benzene and chloroform and moderately soluble in kerosene (11%) and slightly soluble in ethyl alcohol (2%).
They act by interference with nerve impulse transmission. It initially stimulates the CNS and later on depresses it resulting in death. Sometimes their solvents are toxic than themselves.
Fatal dose: 15-30 gm for DDT and Lindane, 5-7 gm for Chlordane, 2.5 gm for Aldrin, Dieldrin and Endrin.
Fatal period: Up to 6 hours.
Toxicity rating: 4 for DDT and Lindane, 5 for others.
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Normal RBC (Red Blood Cell) cholinesterase levels are 5300- 10,000 units/L. Markedly decreased RBC cholinesterase levels (<30% normal) are diagnostic.
RBC cholinesterase levels regenerate slowly (0.5-1% per day).
Depending on the RBC cholinesterase activity the levels of poisoning have been also classified into:
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Compounds | Fatal Dose | Fatal Period | Toxicity Rating |
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TEPP | 100 mg | 0-6 hrs | 6 |
OMPA | 200 mg | 0-6 hrs | — |
Malathion | 1 gm | 0-6 hrs | 4 |
Parathion | 100 mg | 0-6 hrs | 6 |
Diazinon | 1 gm | 0-6 hrs | 4 |
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Strychnine is a spinal poison.
Seeds are the toxic part of the plant. These seeds are grayish brown in color, and measure about 2.5 cm in diameter 0.65 cm in thickness, and are discoidal in shape with central depression.
For the onset of action the seeds must be masticated and swallowed, the site of action being anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. It acts by competitive antagonism of inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine at the postsynaptic spinal cord motor neurons.
Fatal Dose: 1-2 crushed seeds (15 to 50 mg/ 5-8 mg/kg body weight of strychnine).
Fatal period: 1-2 hrs.
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