- follow-up:: [[2022-08-15 Rebels, Canals & Poisons (oh my)]] # Poison > I haven't done a lot with poison in my stories, although I literally have a story titled [Poison](https://newsletter.eleanorkonik.com/poison) %% ( [[2021-10-27 Poison (MF) (DRAFT)]] ) %%, a brief little wish-fulfillment piece about a woman who poisons a boorish patron. This is mostly because it's not a subject I know much about. This week, I decided to rectify my lack of knowledge. ## Quick Facts - Poison arrowheads were developed in the Niger-Congo region sometime between 16,000BCE and 9000 BCE. %% [[The Civilizations of Africa by Christopher Ehret#ch02p44 Niger-Congo Civilization]] %% - Pufferfish emit one of the world's deadliest poisons when threatened, so teenaged dolphins ([dolphins are jerks](https://www.deepseanews.com/2013/02/10-reasons-why-dolphins-are-aholes/)) [pass them around to get high](https://matadornetwork.com/read/animals-hallucinogenic-drugs/). %% [[8 animals that take hallucinogenic drugs and enjoy it#dolphins]] %% - There exists a plant known as [sandbog death camas](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/zigadenus/) that is particularly problematic for sheep and cattle but has killed humans before. - Paraquat [weed killer](https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/may/27/knickers-in-a-twist-the-case-of-the-poisoned-pants-paraquat) is one of the most popular modern poisons. - Hooded pitohui are one of the few toxic birds. Their feathers have the same painful batrachotoxins as poison dart frog skin, which come from small melyrid beetles. %% [[Hooded Pitohui, One of the World's Only Toxic Birds]] %% ## paragraph one Poisoned clothing is a common motif in history & myth. In Greek myth, Medea poisoned a rival's [wedding dress](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-poisoned-wedding-dress-89xpzbb08g0) and Hercules was killed by a [poisoned shirt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirt_of_Nessus). In Indian history, ornamental robes were sometimes [poisoned before being given as gifts](https://www.siasat.com/khilat-a-robe-of-honour-or-weapon-to-kill-2064176/). It's still used as an [assassination method](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/europe/russia-navalny-poisoning-underpants-ward/index.html) today, but [contact poisons](https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/may/27/knickers-in-a-twist-the-case-of-the-poisoned-pants-paraquat) are used by regular people to kill their husbands too. ## Toxic Fur [African crested rats](https://www.livescience.com/crested-rats-have-poison-fur.html) chew on the poisonous bark of the poison arrow tree, which mixes the toxin in with their saliva. They then lick special hairs on their flanks, which gives them a nifty defense against attacks. Their stomachs have four chambers and dense gut bacteria, so they don't get sick from the toxins themselves — but animals like dogs can die from putting the fur in their mouths. ## Cosmetic Microdosing Pure Botox is the most valuable substance on earth per gram. It is made out of [the world's deadliest thing](https://www.the-angry-chef.com/blog/the-worlds-deadliest-thing): botulism. Botulism spores are basically everywhere and are mostly harmless — but the bacteria they can produce under the right conditions create deadly neurotoxins which, when eaten in even tiny amounts, paralyze you. Fewer than half the people who ingest botulism survive, which nearly killed the canning industry. %% [[Botulism is the World's Deadliest Thing by Anthony Warner]] %% ## Venomous Relationships Pygmy slow lorises, which are native to Vietnam, are the only [venomous primate](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/science/slow-loris-venom.html). They're one of only five venomous mammals. What's really interesting is that they are herbivores, and don't seem to use the venom for defense. They mostly only attack each other with it; they're extremely territorial. Lorises are weird in other ways, too; they're one of the only [hibernating primates](https://www.livescience.com/53000-pygmy-slow-lorises-hibernate.html). - - - 📗 ICYMI: If you found this interesting, you may also enjoy my previous newsletter about [[2021-10-27 Poison (MF)]] & [[2022-01-03 Bugs]] 💚 If you learned something from this overview, consider forwarding it to a friend and encouraging them to [sign up](https://newsletter.eleanorkonik.com/membership/) for more research deep dives into obscure history and science. 📅 Next week's topic? SOMETHING If you know any SOMETHING, please hit "reply" and tell me about it.