Among the various types of poisoning, cadaveric poisoning is one of the most common human fears and prejudices. Many esoteric and magical works are devoted to this type of poisoning, and in the classics of world medieval literature poisoning with ptomaine is covered quite expressively. What are the colorful descriptions about how unbearable the cadaverous smell is. Some even now think that not only poison, but also the smell can cause, if not instantaneous, then quick death.
What is cadaveric poison
Today, the composition of cadaveric poison has been reliably clarified, which actually consists of several substances. In toxicology, they even introduced a special term for them - ptomains. They are represented by 3 groups of biogenic amines, which are formed after death due to the decomposition of protein tissue and amino acids. The rate of their formation largely depends on the conditions environment, but in most cases it is from 3 to 4 days.
A characteristic putrid odor always accompanies the formation of ptomaines, but they cannot be poisoned. However, a person's reaction to such a stench is purely individual; it is expressed in the form of attacks of headache, nausea and vomiting, of varying severity.
On a note. If the body of a deceased person decomposed indoors long time, then in order to get rid of the cadaverous smell it will be necessary: 1) to change the part of the wooden floor, on which the cadaveric liquid has leaked; 2) disinfect the subfloor in this area with polyurethane varnish; 3) disinfect the air with an air ozonator.
Cadaveric venom consists of the following ptomains:
- cadaverine- the end product of the breakdown of lysine as a result of the putrefactive breakdown of proteins. It is formed in the lumen of the large intestine. Currently, it is officially excluded from the list of biogenic amines of cadaveric poison due to low toxicity, as well as due to its presence in living animals and plants.
- Putrescine- it is this biogenic amine that is responsible for the characteristic smell of rotting proteins. It is also formed in the intestines, but as a result of a change in the structure not of lysine, but of the amino acid - ornithine, which occurs under the influence of bacteria. This ptomaine is also slightly toxic. For poisoning with putrescine, its concentration in a living body must be more than 2000 mg / kg. Moreover, both cadaverine and putrescine, being outside the rotting body, quickly lose their toxicity, and recent studies have shown that putrescine is also produced in a living organism! It is he who is responsible for the fact that a person has bad smell from mouth.
- spermidine and spermine. These biogenic polyamines are part of the nuclei of all cells of a living organism. They are the end product of the breakdown of ornithine. For toxic damage, a rather large dose is also needed, which should go directly into the blood - more than 6000 mg / kg.
- neuron is a breakdown product of nerve cells. Despite the particular high toxicity of this biogenic cadaveric fluid - only 11 mg / kg, neurin does not pose any particular danger during direct tactile contact with a corpse.
When in contact with a dead and decaying body, first of all, one should be wary of non-physical contact with cadaveric poison or inhalation of a cadaverous smell. The danger lies in a different reason - you can get infected from a corpse in the same way as from a living person or animal, if at the time of death there was infection, or the actual cause of death was the defeat of dangerous bacteria or viruses (for example, anthrax, rabies or pneumonic plague) .
Symptoms of poisoning
Poisoning with biogenic amines is possible only if a person is given an intravenous injection of these substances in a lethal concentration. If the contact occurs “locally”, for example, when touched by a hand that has a fresh cut, nothing mortally dangerous will happen. The wound will become inflamed, but will heal in a few days, even without any special treatment and antidote. Biogenic amines, which are part of the cadaveric poison, once in the blood will be completely deactivated by the liver.
We debunk myths. Cadaverine is found in fly agaric, boletus, ergot, belladonna, but poisoning with these products occurs under the influence of other substances. Cadaverine, as a decay product of hops, is also found in beer, but poisoning from cadaveric poison has never been recorded, even after such plentiful and frequent drinking of beer that Czechs and Germans allow themselves.
In the case of receiving a toxic dose of a biogenic amine - neurin, the symptoms and signs will look like this:
- slightly swollen lymph nodes;
- increased salivation up to salivation;
- there is a "wet" cough, sometimes pneumonia can develop;
- pursued by severe nausea, bouts of vomiting;
- rarely, but convulsive seizures are possible.
However, do not panic - even a pathologist cannot get a dangerous dose of neurin. Wearing protective gloves, a mask and goggles, he protects himself from accidental infection with a disease-causing bacillus, virus or bacterium, and not from contact with cadaveric fluid.
By the way, during the establishment of the causes of death of a person, the smell from the mouth can help the pathologist to establish the exact cause, for example, the smell of almonds will indicate potassium cyanide poisoning.
Is contact with cadaveric poison dangerous?
Cadaverine and putrescine are not deadly cadaveric poisons. If they enter the gastrointestinal tract in large doses, they can cause symptoms of intestinal poisoning, and if cuts on the skin become infected, they cause only local inflammation. Even a significant dose of cadeverin and putrescine that enters the bloodstream is successfully deactivated by the liver.
Neurin is much more dangerous than other biogenic amines that are part of the cadaveric poison. If he gets into in large numbers into the blood, it can cause arrhythmia, disruption of the respiratory center, sepsis and gas gangrene, and getting into the stomach neurin causes the same consequences, since neither the stomach acid, nor the liver, nor the kidneys are able to cope with its neutralization.
Is there any benefit in cadaveric poison
What use can we talk about when it comes to cadaveric poison? It turns out it can! Not directly, of course, but indirectly. Currently, research is being carried out on the following issues:
- Spermidine and spermine are considered as basic substances for the manufacture of longevity elixirs and powerful hepatoprotectors. There is an assumption that in 10 years such miraculous drugs will be available to everyone. In the meantime, doctors recommend eating large amounts of foods that contain them - these are legumes, grapefruits, blue cheese, corn and wheat germ.
- It has been proven that biogenic amines support the work of ribosomes responsible for protein synthesis. With a stroke of the brain, the level of putrescine increases sharply - this is how the body protects the neurons of the brain. It was this that finally explained the fact why stroke patients have a characteristic bad breath.
- Scientists from Brown University found that putrescine is actively synthesized during epileptic seizures. It prevents the destruction of neurons in the brain. An experienced emergency physician will distinguish an epileptic seizure from another convulsive condition. It is the smell from the mouth, and not a mouth full of foam, that is a confirmation of epilepsy. Doctors hope that these studies will help in the creation of drugs for antiepileptic therapy in children.
Question for controversy. Vegetarians convince meat-eaters that headaches on an empty stomach, foul-smelling sweat, and bad breath are the result of rotting undigested meat and releasing toxins that cause mild cadaveric poisoning.
Cadaveric poison in the delicacies of the peoples of the North
Kopalhem and cadaveric poisons, obtained with food regularly and starting from early childhood, do not bring visible harm to a person. This is confirmed by all the peoples of the North, who prepare their national and sacred dishes by burying deer, seal or shark meat for a period of 3 weeks to 7 months.
At ordinary person these "northern delicacies" can cause serious food poisoning. Therefore, if you need to try such dishes, you should be careful.
And in conclusion, once again it should be noted that tactile contact with decaying organic matter does not threaten poisoning. Subject to the rules of hygiene and sanitation, there will be no consequences from contact with cadaveric poison.
Cadaveric poison is the general name for substances that appear as a result of the decomposition of living matter. They arise in the process of decay of internal organs and body fluids. In addition, even during life, some of these substances are in the body. In the decomposing body, various chemical processes take place, due to which toxic substances (cadaverine, putrescine and neurin) are formed, which have an unpleasant putrefactive odor. Poisoning by cadaveric poison is rare, but such a phenomenon is considered very dangerous.
Is ptomain dangerous?
It is believed that cadaveric poison is very dangerous. There was even a myth that, if it got into the blood with a small puncture of the finger, it could cause a person's death. Now "cadaveric poison" is an outdated concept. Substances released as a result of the decomposition of the body are called ptomains. These are biogenic amines that occur during the decomposition of protein tissue. In the corpse, they appear 3-4 days after the start of decomposition.. And the rate of their development depends on the temperature and humidity conditions of the environment. In the process, a specific smell appears.
How dangerous is cadaveric poison? It contains toxic substances dangerous to the human body. Let us consider in more detail the composition of cadaveric poison:
- Cadaverin. It is a colorless liquid that is soluble in water and alcohol. Possesses an unpleasant smell. Formed during the decomposition of living organisms. In addition, the substance is found in beer and some plants. Cadaverine in large quantities is very dangerous for a living organism.
- Putrescine is a toxin that appears in the large intestine during the decomposition of fish and meat.
- Neurin has the consistency of syrup. Appears in the process of decay of nerve tissue. Neurin is the most dangerous of all the components of cadaveric poison, although it is formed in very small quantities in a decaying organism.
From this it becomes clear why cadaveric poison negatively affects a person. Moreover, the strength of this effect can be different, depending on the susceptibility of the organism to biogenic amines. Pathologists note that when the skin is injured during an autopsy, the wound becomes extremely painful, an intense inflammatory process appears. There may also be a fever.
In addition to cadaveric poison, similar substances are found in fly agaric, dope, belladonna, which are also very poisonous.
Cadaveric poisoning
Scientists have proven that it is almost impossible to get poisoned by ptomains. According to numerous studies conducted on frogs and mice, it has been proven that the toxicity of cadaveric poison is low. And signs of poisoning appeared only after the introduction of ptomains in large doses. And even after entering the body, they decompose in the stomach under the influence of an acidic environment. In the case of absorption into the blood, which is unlikely, the poison is neutralized in the liver.
That's why a healthy body can easily cope with cadaveric poison. It is even found in small amounts in some foods. Although, being in the same room with the corpse, you need to be extremely careful. After all, from a dead person, you can become infected with various infections (tuberculosis, pneumonia, sepsis). Harmful bacteria multiply even after the death of a person, some die, but the dead microorganisms are even more dangerous.
In addition, cadaveric poison is not released into the air, and it can enter the body only during contact with a dead body, and then there should be cracks or cuts on the skin. At the same time, the substance is slightly toxic. The amount of one or another poison, necessary for the death of the organism, is calculated in a lethal dose. So, for putrescine and cadaverine, it is 2000 mg per kg of weight, spermidine - 600 mg, neurin - 11 mg. But none of these poisons are found in such large quantities in a decomposing body. Although the possibility of cadaveric poisoning should not be ruled out, as this can still happen.
In this case, immunity deteriorates, viral diseases appear. In more serious cases, even oncological diseases occur.. Digestion is significantly worsened, so all organs of the body work with increased stress. Stones form in the intestines, as a result of which the movement of feces slows down. The poisons and toxins contained in these stones are reabsorbed into the blood, so the patient experiences severe headaches, especially when he is hungry.
Putrid odor poisoning
When the death of a person or animal occurs, the blood stops circulating. Therefore, cells and tissues are not enriched with oxygen, from which they die. Together with them, internal organs decompose. Rotting occurs especially quickly under the influence of high temperatures
. And the fetid smell in this case appears on the second day after death.
It is dangerous to be in such a place. After all, each person has a different susceptibility to the smell of decomposition. In some cases, the consequences can be very serious. If a person has received a mild poisoning caused by cadaveric poisoning in the respiratory tract, nausea or vomiting will be observed for several days. If a person's immunity is weakened, inhaling a fetid odor can cause inflammation of the lymph nodes.
The air in the room where the deceased was located may contain bacteria, leading to various diseases. Therefore, if there is a putrid smell in the air, it is urgent to ventilate the room.
Consequences of contact with ptomains
If cadaveric material gets into an open wound, it can cause inflammation and sepsis.. Indeed, after death, a cadaveric bacillus and a number of other harmful bacteria are formed in the biological material. The most dangerous among them is staphylococcus aureus. But in this case, there are signs not of poisoning, but of an inflammatory process.
Neurin has the highest toxicity, so it is possible to poison them. And sick people with a weakened immune system are susceptible to this. In case of intoxication, the patient has the following symptoms: 
- muscle spasm, which results in convulsions;
- enlarged lymph nodes, especially cervical. Inflammation of the lymph nodes extends to the subscapular cavity. Here the lymphatic glands suppurate. In some cases, metastatic abscesses appear;
- increased sweating, which has an unpleasant odor;
- the intestinal microflora is disturbed, which leads to diarrhea. Profuse vomiting begins, possibly with blood particles. As a result, the body of the victim is dehydrated;
- there is an increased production of saliva, and during coughing, sputum is released. The patient may also develop pneumonia.
- Bad breath, and this symptom does not disappear even after brushing your teeth.
The consequences of cadaveric poisoning can be very serious. In severe cases, the recovery process takes a very long time. And the inflammation of the lymph nodes subsides slowly. Even after healing, axillary lymph nodes can swell again as a result of increased stress on the hands. And this can cause serious suppuration, which leads to damage to the chest.
In addition to acute poisoning, people who dissect corpses may develop cadaveric warts on their bodies. These are small bumps that are characterized by increased soreness. True, they are completely safe for health and do not cause complications. Over time, they disappear on their own.
Scientists believe that a dangerous cadaveric poison is released during the decay of the tissues of the human body. That is why people are buried no later than 3 days after death.
Cadaveric poison in food
The meat contains a number of toxic substances. In particular, cadaveric poison was found in meat. Especially quickly, these substances are formed if the storage conditions of the product are not observed. Store meat products only in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 5 degrees Celsius.. If the meat is in a warm room for more than 3 hours, it should not be eaten, as the decomposition process has already started.
The product can be stored in a cold room for no longer than 3 days. During this time, it must be moved to the freezer, otherwise after 3 days the meat will need to be thrown away. Even heat treatment will not kill the harmful microorganisms formed in the meat.
Also contains cadaveric poison in beer. During the fermentation of hops, monoamines are formed in the foamy drink, which adversely affect the brain. It also produces cadaverine, which is cadaveric poison. Therefore, beer should be drunk in moderation.
Beneficial features
It is even believed that amines in small quantities are beneficial to humans. Thus, small doses of biogenic amines stimulate the work of internal organs, activating the metabolism in the body. Based on them, they even make medications. For example, in the 1950s, the scientist Dorogov developed an ASD preparation based on cadaveric amines. It is based on the treatment of stomach ulcers, skin diseases and infectious diseases.
Prevention of poisoning
Poisoning with cadaveric poison is almost impossible, since the living organism copes with it on its own. However, after contact with cadaveric tissues, hands must be washed, and all open wounds are recommended to be treated with hydrogen peroxide. If the deceased has been in the apartment for some time, after removing him, everything should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
Immunocompromised people are advised not to contact the deceased. It is not recommended to touch them or kiss them goodbye. After all, when infected with cadaveric poison, a fatal outcome can occur. If health is in order, then you should not be afraid of the dead.
Until now, cadaveric poisons have not been fully studied.. And although they are believed to be safe for humans, precautions can not hurt. In the case when poisoning nevertheless occurred, it is necessary to urgently go to the hospital, because intoxication with cadaveric poison can be very dangerous. Also, a person could become infected with some kind of disease from a dead person. Either way, you need to check.
Today it is quite difficult to understand what was true in the stories about poisoning that have come down to our days through the centuries, what was fiction. Indeed, at that time there were no tests and forensic examinations, and there were more than enough stories about mysterious poisons. In our review, we are talking about the most legendary poisons, the existence of which has not yet been proven.
1. Yad Gu
Gu is an ancient Chinese poison magical properties. According to the legends, this poison was created by placing poisonous animals - snakes, lizards, scorpions, centipedes and various insects - in a jar. These poisonous creatures devoured each other until only one remained, which was oversaturated with the toxins of all its digested brethren. Then poison was extracted from this creature, which was used to kill, cause illness or induce love spells. Victims of gu poisoning died from vomiting blood. It was rumored that gu could even kill from a distance.
2. Poison on the knife of Parysatis
Parisatis, mother of the Persian king Artaxerxes II (435 or 445 BC - 358 BC). did not get along with her daughter-in-law Stateira. Parysatis was simply jealous, it seemed to her that Stateira "occupied all the thoughts of her son and he began to love his mother less", so she figured out how to get rid of her. She simply could not poison her daughter-in-law, because both women treated each other with distrust and were afraid of being poisoned. Therefore, they ate the same dishes from the same dishes.
But Parysatis came up with the following move: she smeared one side of the knife with an unknown poison, and then cut off a piece of chicken for herself (with the clean side) and handed the knife to her daughter-in-law. As a result, she died a painful death, but the victory of Parysatis turned out to be pyrrhic. While on her deathbed, Stateira convinced her husband that his mother was responsible for the murder. Artaxerxes exiled Parysatis to Babylon, and they never saw each other again.
3. Yad Eitr
In Scandinavian mythology, the liquid eitr was both the source of life and death. When ice fragments from Niflheim (primordial realm of ice in the north) met sparks from Muspelheim (original realm of fire in the south) at Ginnungagap (primal chaos, world abyss), the ice melted. This liquid was eitr, the primordial substance from which the primordial being, the giant Ymir, was born.
The gods created the Earth from Ymir's flesh, the oceans from his blood, the mountains from his bones, the trees from his hair, the clouds from his brain. Midgard, the kingdom of people, was made from the eyebrows of Ymir. Either was thus responsible for the whole world and all life in it, but it was also a deadly poison strong enough to kill the gods. According to Scandinavian mythology, in the great last battle of Ragnarok, the great serpent Jörmungandr, who encircles Midgard, will rise from the ocean to poison the sky.
Thor will kill Jörmungandr, but since his blood consists of eitra, Thor will die of poison after walking only nine steps. In Scandinavian folklore, the legendary fluid of life and death has become synonymous with deadly toxins. In Old Norse the word "eytr" meant "poison", and in modern Icelandic the word "eytur" means the same.
4. White Powder Borgia
The Borgia family is today inextricably linked with poison. It all started with Cem, the half-brother of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II. After the death of their father, Sultan Mehmed II, the brothers quarreled and began to fight each other. As a result, Cem fled to Rhodes, where he was sheltered by the Master of the Order of Malta, Pierre d'Aubusson. But Bayezid promised the knights a huge annual sum in exchange for keeping his brother away from the Ottoman Empire so that he would not claim the throne.
As a result, the Maltese transferred Cem to Rome to Pope Innocent VIII. After the death of Innocent in 1492, Alexander VI (1431-1503), the infamous Rodrigo Borgia, became his successor. Bayazid continued to pay annually half of the income of the Ottoman Empire for the maintenance of his brother in Rome. The feeding trough ended in September 1494 when Charles VIII invaded Italy to take over the Kingdom of Naples, which he planned to use as a launching pad for a new crusade (the goal of which was the recapture of Jerusalem).
When Charles VIII reached Rome, he made a deal with the pope, according to which he stops further conquest of Italy, but receives the "goose that lays golden eggs" - Gemma. But, when the French took Jem from Rome on January 28, 1495, on the way to Naples, he died suddenly on February 25. Rumors that Cem had been poisoned by Pope Borgia began almost immediately. Popular rumor claimed that Jem was given a mysterious white powder of unknown composition, which allegedly can kill a few weeks after ingestion.
The mysterious white powder soon turned into a legendary poison. One dose of poison could kill instantly, within days or months. It was a snow-white substance with a pleasant taste, which could be easily and imperceptibly mixed into any food product or drink. It can allegedly even be poured into boots or added to candles, which made their smoke deadly. Thus began the legends about the famous poisoners of Borgia.
5. Aqua Tofana
By all accounts, the invention of the Sicilian woman Tofana, who lived in the 17th century, was a colorless and transparent, tasteless and unsuspicious liquid. It was assumed that the poison was made from arsenic, spanish fly, silverwort and / or snapdragon. He allegedly could kill with exceptional accuracy: the dose could be calculated so as to kill immediately, in a week, in a month or in a year. Some stories claim that the victims gradually lost all their hair and teeth and cringed until they finally died in agony.
Others insist that there were no such acute symptoms, just that the victim began to have an incomprehensible weakness that never went away and led to death. The poison was usually added to food, but was sometimes applied to the cheek to infect the victim when kissed.
6. Powder inheritance
Poudre de succession or "powder of succession" was named for its use in eliminating problematic heirs. It was allegedly the invention of one of France's most famous poisoners, Marie Madeleine Dreux d'Aubrey, Marquise de Brainville (1630-1676). Various sources state that the powder consisted of frosted glass, "lead sugar", a powdered version of aqua tofan, and arsenic. The poison was allegedly so deadly, just simply inhaling this powder instantly killed.
Marie Madeleine Dreux d'Aubray's career as a poisoner began when her father, Antoine Dreux d'Aubray, imprisoned Marie's lover, Captain Godin de Sainte-Croix, in the Bastille. Sainte-Croix's cellmate was an Italian named Exili, who had an extensive knowledge of poisons, which he generously shared with his new friend. After his release, Sainte-Croix told about the poisons to the Marquise, who began to experiment with various formulations handing out poisoned bread to the unsuspecting poor in hospital wards.
Marie's first deliberate victim was her father. After that, she killed her brothers Antoine and Fran in order for her to get the entire inheritance. In 1672 Sainte-Croix died under mysterious circumstances, possibly from inhaling his own product. As a result, Marie was arrested and subjected to water torture. She was then beheaded and burned.
Universal antidote
The ruler of the kingdom of Pontus, Mithridates VI Eupator (134-63 BC), is said to have been paranoid. However, it was completely justified. His mother poisoned her husband when Mithridates was still a child and ruled the kingdom as regent until he came of age. Even as a child, Mithridates suspected that his mother was plotting to poison him too in order to put his brother on the throne. When the young heir found himself getting worse and worse, he fled to the desert, where for years he tried to develop immunity to any poisons.
It worked. Already in adulthood, Mithridates was known as "intoxicating". He allegedly created a universal antidote that could resist any poison. This is an antidote, the main components of which (according to the records of Pompey the Great) were dried walnuts, figs, rue, leaves and a pinch of salt, was considered a universal antidote for the next 1800 years.
The great mistake of the ancients was the creation of gu. People who wanted to get wealth put all kinds of insects and reptiles in one pot, and after a year they opened it to find the one remaining creature that had devoured all the others. They called her gu.
Since ancient times, a variety of witchcraft methods of achieving wealth, power and success have been practiced in China. However, the laws of the Celestial Empire for a long time and very carefully protected their subjects from the tricks of demonic forces: until the beginning of the 20th century, the accusation of witchcraft entailed the most cruel measures.
One of the means of "cultivating witchcraft spells" for a long time was the creation of an all-powerful creature (insect or reptile), called gu, which means "damage, rot, poison." However, the Chinese sages also called the term "gu" any secret harmful action.
HELL POT GU RECIPE
In ancient manuscripts, there are various ways of preparing poison gu. However, they are connected by a common component: the mandatory presence poisonous insects or a snake. The mountain dwellers of Guangdong and Guangxi, from whom this demonic infection spread throughout the country, were considered to be recognized experts in witchcraft gu.
Usually on a hot day in the middle of summer, all kinds of reptiles and insects were collected. Snakes, centipedes, frogs, and spiders were placed in one vessel to devour each other. After a long time (in some cases at least a year), the vessel was opened and the last creature was found, which defeated all the others and, as the sorcerers believed, possessed tremendous spiritual power.
If, for example, a snake survived, it was called a gu snake; if a louse survived, it became a gu louse. The animal gu was placed in a vase, put in a place of honor in the house, having built something like an altar around the vessel. Gu holders made sacrifices, prayed before him, asked for help in unkind and selfless deeds.
The poison of this creature was often used for fatal poisoning, and in this purpose it was trouble-free. “When poison enters a person, sharp pains begin in his stomach and heart, and there is a feeling as if some animal is eating him from the inside; it vomits and a bloody liquid with the smell of rotten meat, and if a person is not treated immediately, all five of his internal organs will be devoured, and he will die, ”the Chinese historian expressively describes the effect of gu poison.
After the death of the poisoned person, the infection spreads unhindered in the immediate space, and therefore everyone who is near the dying person himself may become the target of the devil's defeat.
Often gu was made for enrichment - one's own or family. In this case, prayers should be offered to him. Wealth came to the house of the owner of the witch pot, but a neighbor or other person not connected with the clan of the owners of gu became seriously ill or died. It was believed that gu is a source of unrighteous wealth and therefore does not differ from theft and robbery: those who used gu, like thieves, were mutilated in the markets and cut in half.
WITCH AND REBELLION
During the era of the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC), belief in the omnipotence of gu witchcraft was truly universal. The rampant horror of the all-pervading diabolical magic also reached the imperial palace.
Historical chronicles tell of amazing events: the eradication of corruption on a high state level caused a bloody uprising. Chinese emperor Woo-dee(II century BC) “in the fifth year of his reign, he imprisoned the creative gu, and their heads were put on poles.”
What preceded these events? At that time, the emperor was severely tormented by an unknown disease. He believed that he owed his sufferings to those close to him who practiced gu, cast devilish spells and cast evil spells.
Emperor's favorite Jiang Chong took advantage of these suspicions. With the help of intrigues, he turned Wu Di against his wife and heir to the throne, Prince Liu Ju: he inspired the emperor that a conspiracy was hidden in the inner chambers of the palace and that gu was being created. The emperor authorized Chun to take due measures to eradicate this evil, "from whomsoever it may come."
Without thinking twice, Chun, with the help of sorcerers subordinate to him, began to dig holes in order to find human figures supposedly hidden there and other traces of corruption - of course, in the homes of his political opponents and ill-wishers. Naturally, witchcraft objects were thrown in advance, "in order to reveal traces of a crime." The unfortunate victims, after severe torture, slandered each other one after another, accusing them of using gu. Suspicion of "planning a rebellion" touched half of the bureaucracy.
Then Jiang Chong went to the palace of the heir to the throne, dug it up in search of gu and found a statue made of tong wood, which was equivalent to inducing damage. The crown prince, realizing the precariousness of his position, in desperation turned to his mentor Shi-te for advice. The teacher told the prince to seize Jiang Chong and severely punish him for his crimes and deceit. Soon, Prince Liu defeated the favorite's detachment, burned his sorcerers, and beheaded Jiang Chong himself.
Unfortunately, the simple population of the Middle Kingdom did not support the prince, his army was soon defeated, and he himself was forced to flee to the outskirts of the empire. A few months later, the secret police tracked down the heir. He, realizing that escape was impossible, “went to his room, locked the doors and strangled himself.”
Soon, many stopped believing in the conspiracy of sorcerers gu, and Emperor Wu himself realized that "the actions of the prince were guided only by fear, and nothing else." In order to restore belated justice, he ordered the entire family of Jiang Chong to be exterminated so that his family would cease once and for all, and the remaining henchmen to be burned. This bloody hysteria lasted for about a year, costing the lives of tens of thousands of people and entered the history of ancient China as the “rebellion of the crown prince.”
MEANS OF SALVATION FROM DAMAGE
If harsh punishments could limit the criminal acquisition of wealth by subjects in the Celestial Empire, then the laws remained powerless in the face of grave consequences.
Chinese medicine has preserved evidence of a multitude medicines capable of resisting the harmful action of gu. However, first of all, the doctor had to accurately diagnose the disease. It was enough for the patient to spit into the water, and if the saliva sank, then the person was considered affected by gu, if it remained on the surface, then the infection did not affect the patient.
The main method of neutralizing gu poison was the treatment of like with like, i.e. reptiles and insects used in the preparation of gu turned out to be a remedy against gu at the same time. It was important to establish which animal's venom caused the infection. However, the universal cure for demonic corruption remained the consumption of "everything that could be obtained" from the domestic cat.
In the ancient medical book "Lungs and simple recipes protection of life" says: "As a protection against the poison of gu s early age you can eat cat meat; then gu will not cause any harm.” By the way, until now in China, cat meat is not only a delicacy, but also a means of treating heart disease and mental insanity.
Travelers, forced to stay overnight in an unfamiliar hotel, resorted to another, more original method. It was enough to slap the innkeeper on the shoulder and ask bluntly if there was a gu in his house. It was believed that if a person discovers his knowledge of witchcraft, then he also knows the ways to resist any misfortune, and in this case, the gu is not able to fully manifest its strength.
The use of witchcraft to achieve base goals has always been considered a violation of the universal law of the universe - the path of Tao. Therefore, families raising asps were deprived of male offspring by Heaven, and if boys were born in the family, then they usually did not live to adulthood.
The destruction, even by negligence, of the animal gu threatened with imminent death to its owners. Therefore, the owners anxiously guarded this creature.
Now the craft of masters of "snake pots" is almost lost. And the stories of sorcerers gu most often serve as a source for the plots of adventure books about Ancient China yes Hong Kong action movie scripts.
Vladimir STROGANOV
When organic liquids and substances decompose, cadaveric poison is formed. The mechanism of its appearance is as follows: after death, many biochemical processes instantly start in the body, during which cadaveric bacteria die and decompose. This is how toxic substances appear - cadaverine, putrescine, neurin, which make up what we call cadaveric poison. It is they who have a nasty "sweet" cadaverous smell, which causes a gag reflex in many.
The higher the ambient temperature, the faster the processes during which the above substances are formed. For this reason, cool conditions are maintained in morgues in order to slow down the processes of decay and decay.
The phrase "cadaveric poison" in the 21st century is no longer correct, toxicologists prefer the term "ptomains" to it, which comes from Greek, where the word ptoma is translated as a corpse or a dead body.
Ptomains are a group of biogenic amines - the end product of the breakdown of amino acids and proteins. They are formed when the processes of decay of dead organisms start in the body. In the corpse, these substances appear approximately 3-4 days after death, but these are approximate figures, since the temperature and humidity of the environment dictate a lot.
What is the danger of cadaveric poison
To answer the question of why cadaveric poison is dangerous, let's take a closer look at the substances of which it consists:
- Cadaverine is a colorless, low-toxic liquid that is easily soluble in alcohol, water and has a specific smell. This ptomain appears not only during decay, decomposition of proteins, it is also found in beer and various plants such as soybeans, belladonna, ergot horns, mushrooms, fly agaric.
Cadaverine is the most researched ptomaine, on the basis of which experts declare that this substance does not pose a threat to health in itself. Moreover, in the large intestine of a healthy person, processes are constantly taking place, the result of which, among other things, is the formation of cadaverine.
- Putrescine is a toxic substance, but it is also formed in small quantities in a healthy person in the large intestine.
- Neurin is the most toxic ptomaine, it is formed in nerve cells and resembles syrup in consistency. Experiments on monkeys have shown that a dose of 11 mg/kg is sufficient for poisoning and death. However, in rotting remains, this substance is formed in a negligible amount, which means that it is impossible to get poisoned by it in contact with a corpse.
Let's add to this picture the fact that the listed poisons cannot live long outside the corpse, for them this environment is fundamentally important. The body of a living person presents aggressive conditions for them, and these toxins cannot do much harm to a living organism. Also, cadaveric poisons are not airborne, so the most dangerous cadaveric smell is the gag reflex that it can cause. To neutralize this "aroma" in professional field use a special chemical - keslivol.
However, there are stories among the people that a person may have ptomaine poisoning. And in ancient times, warriors lubricated their arrows with them to make them poisonous, and the wounded enemy really died. How to explain it?
- In ancient times, they did not know what to do if ptomaine got into an open wound. The maximum, as they helped the victim, was to quickly cauterize the wound, but if time was lost, the person died.
- Death mainly occurred not from the cadaveric poison itself, but from the pathogenic bacteria contained in it. If the "source" of the poison had meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, the bacteria of these diseases continued to live in his corpse. And getting into the bloodstream of a living person - actively multiply. Especially dangerous are the corpses of those who died from pneumonic plague, anthrax.
So, the wounded with a poisoned arrow did not die from a cadaveric disease, but from the fact that his immunity decreased due to injury, and the bacteria of the disease multiplied in the blood, from which the “source” of ptomains died. For a healthy person with normal immunity, even these bacteria do not pose a particular threat.
It is also difficult to get poisoned by ptomains for two more reasons:
- entering the bloodstream, they are rendered harmless in the liver,
- putrescine and cadaverine are neutralized in an acidic environment, therefore, if they were, for example, in meat, they were decomposed by gastric juice.
In the human body, ideal mechanisms have been established to neutralize cadaveric poison. Touching a corpse poses no danger to him.
Another myth about cadaveric poison says that if it gets into drinking water, the person who tastes it dies in agony. Why is this a myth? Because it has already been said before: ptomains are neutralized in the acidic environment of the stomach. For their toxic effect, it is necessary to drink a barrel of such water in one sitting.
The danger is not ptomaines, but other bacteria adjacent to them, for example, botulism, staphylococcus.
If the cadaveric material has got on an open wound, the likelihood of developing inflammation and sepsis is very high due to the aforementioned bacteria. The most common is staphylococcus aureus. The biogenic amines themselves do not carry any danger, any pathologist will confirm this.
Symptoms of poisoning and assistance to the victim
Most often, this symptomatology is observed in pathologists. Although they are aware of the security measures, they put on gloves and masks before opening, sometimes infection cannot be avoided. When this happened, cadaveric tubercles form on the fingers. However, this is where it all ends - they go away on their own, although they are quite painful. This phenomenon is unpleasant, but has no consequences.
Neurin is the most toxic ptomaine. Although it is formed negligibly small in a corpse, it can provoke such a reaction in sick, weakened people: 
- vomiting,
- cough with copious sputum,
- strong salivation,
- pneumonia,
- swollen lymph nodes,
- convulsions.
If a person is really poisoned by neurin, the outcome is often fatal. When the cadaveric materials got into large cut wounds, from where the blood literally spurts, the ptomains are washed out with it. But if a cadaveric stick gets into punctured, small, lacerated wounds, scratches or burrs, it can provoke a slight inflammation that goes away without consequences.
If it happens that a person open wound contacted the corpse, you must do the following:
- rinse the wound with running water,
- cauterize it with an acidic solution of vinegar, sulfur or nitrogen,
- lubricate with iodine for the final neutralization of the poison.
If these measures are taken on time, then even inflammation will not appear.
Prevention of poisoning with biogenic amines
A person with normal immunity is not threatened by the body of a dead person, even if it has been in his house for quite some time. However, when health is weakened by some disease, it is better to refrain from observing the tradition and not kissing the deceased.
When the deceased was taken out, the room where he was was subject to wet cleaning using disinfectant solutions. Moreover, everything must be washed - the walls, the floor, the table where the coffin with the deceased stood, but the rag must be thrown away. Then you need to take a shower yourself using soap and no longer worry about the danger. If the putrid smell does not disappear in the house for a long time, order professional disinfection. Professionals can use not only keslivol to neutralize the smell, but also ultraviolet emitters, thanks to which the room can breathe freely again.
Corpse poison and meat
If stored incorrectly, protein breakdown products will necessarily appear in it, and other toxic compounds are also formed, such as:
- skatole,
- urea,
- indole,
- phenol.
These compounds just give that nasty smell that they try to get rid of by processing meat in various ways - soaking it in an acidic solution, seasoning it abundantly with spices.
These deli meats pose a health hazard. The fact that a person was poisoned by them can be determined by:
- headache,
- weakness,
- dizziness
- nausea, vomiting,
- diarrhea.
Help for the victim in such a situation is the same as with ordinary poisoning:
- wash the stomach
- give sorbent,
- provide plenty of fluids
Some indigenous people of the Far North have dishes, the recipe of which is not quite usual for our people. The meat is buried next to the surf in the sand, leaving it there for several weeks, or even months. After this period, it is considered a delicacy that is eaten with pleasure.
There are also similar traditions in Greenland and Chukotka, where they take a seal, stuff it and bury it for 7 months, and then eat it. In Iceland, similar manipulations are carried out with hakarl sharks. The Chukchi in Russia prepare a stew based on venison, which has spent several weeks in a barn. And such a dish as kopalhem - a deer buried in a swamp on a rainy day - for them is both a delicacy and sacred food.
We do not advise you to try such dishes if before that your menu consisted of exclusively fresh products. The stomach will not "understand" such experiments. After all, the body of these peoples from childhood gets used to such food and is immune to toxic substances contained in it. And for another person, such dishes threaten with severe food intoxication.
We conclude: if you did not grow up among the peoples of the Far North, it is better to refrain from eating stale meat, as well as other products,. In other situations, contact with decaying organic matter does not threaten you. It is only necessary to follow the rules of sanitation and hygiene, which we have been taught since kindergarten, this will help neutralize all the consequences of contact with ptomaine.
