MadSci Network: General Biology |
As always, it is the dose that makes the poison ! Just enough cyanide to kill you will take a long time; but if you drink or inhale a massive overdose of HCN, it will be almost instant- or at least, your lungs will stop working instantly, and then 10-20 seconds till your brain shuts down. All sorts of things will stop the heart as soon as they are injected; simplest is a bolus of potassium chloride. There are also numerous other agents, such as cardiac glycosides. Nerve gases are also pretty fast, and again a topical application of nerve gas to the skin will lead to ~ instant death. please don't try this at home :-) david
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