a secret city: Archive

funeral:

Cyanide - Cyanide kills by preventing red blood cells from absorbing oxygen. This resulted in a process known as “internal shortness of breath”. Cyanide capsules were allegedly used by spies in World War II as an easy escape option to avoid persecution.

Arsenic - Anyone swallowing large amounts of arsenic will usually die within a few hours following seizures and shock. If death does not occur at this earlier stage your kidneys will pack in and you will be dead within days. Historically, it is a favourite tool of killers.

Brazilian Wandering Spider - This spider kills around five people a year. Symptoms include immediate pain, heavy perspiration and drooling. Often hides in bunches of bananas.

Capsaicin - This is the chemical that makes chillis hot, but in its purest form it is strong enough to kill you if you eat it. Will cause burns and blistering in contact with human skin.

Death Cap Mushroom - One of the most toxic fungi, 30g is enough to kill a human. Symptoms include jaundice, lethargy, sweats and dizziness, Usually the only treatment is a liver transplant.

Ricin - This toxin is made from the castor bean. Twice as deadly as cobra venom, two-tenths of a milligram is a lethal dose. At one point, the U.S. Army considered using ricin as a chemical weapon.

Golden Poison frog - It is probably the most poisonous animal on Earth. It is so toxic that even touching it can be dangerous. A single frog contains enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 10 people. It is usually found in Central and South America.

Anthrax - Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Inhalational anthrax is highly fatal. Respiratory infection initially presents with cold or flu-like symptoms for several days, followed by severe (and often fatal) respiratory collapse. If not treated soon after exposure, before symptoms appear, there is a near 100% mortality.

Deathstalker scorpion - Found in the hot climates of North Africa and the Middle East, the Deathstalker can kill a human with a single stab of its barbed tail.

Black Widow spider - The Black Widow is easily identifiable by the distinctive red markings on its stomach. It is a large widow spider found throughout the world and commonly associated with urban habitats or agricultural areas. The Black Widow’s venom is 15 times more potent than a rattlesnakes.

Dioxin - Reputed to be the most dangerous man-made poison, it is 60,000 times more toxic than cyanide. A dose of only 50 micrograms is lethal for a human - that’s a 1,000th of a small pill.

Death Lily - Leaves can be confused with wild onions. Found in America and Siberia. It’s fatal to humans and animals. Symptoms start with burning lips and grow to slow heart beat, low temperature, coma and finally death.