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 cadaveric poison is covered quite expressively. Consider the colorful descriptions of how unbearable the corpse smell is. Some people still 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 determined, which actually consists of several substances. In toxicology, a special term was even introduced for them - ptomaines. 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 ranges from 3 to 4 days.
A characteristic cadaverous odor always accompanies the formation of ptomains, but one cannot be poisoned by them. 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 degrees of severity.
On a note. If the body of a deceased person was decomposing indoors long time, then in order to get rid of the cadaveric smell it will be necessary: 1) to replace the part of the wooden floor on which the cadaveric fluid has leaked; 2) disinfect the subfloor in this area using polyurethane varnish; 3) disinfect the air with an air ozonizer.
Corpse poison 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 its 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 ptomain is also slightly toxic. For putrescine poisoning, 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 proven that putrescine is also produced in a living organism! It is he who is to blame for the fact that a person develops 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 ornithine breakdown. For toxic damage, a fairly large dose is also needed, which must enter directly into the blood - more than 6000 mg/kg.
- Neirin- a product of decomposition of nerve cells. Despite the particularly 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 coming into contact with a dead and decomposing body, the first thing to be wary of is not physical contact with cadaveric poison or inhalation of cadaveric odor. The danger lies in another reason - you can get infected from a corpse in the same way as from a living person or animal, if there was an infection at the time of death, or the actual cause of death was infection with dangerous bacteria or viruses (for example, anthrax, rabies or pneumonic plague) .
Symptoms of poisoning
Poisoning by biogenic amines can only occur if a person is given an intravenous injection of these substances in a lethal concentration. If the contact occurs “locally”, for example, when touching with a hand that has a fresh cut, nothing fatal will happen. The wound will become inflamed, but will heal in a few days, even without any special treatment or the use of an antidote. Biogenic amines that make up cadaveric venom, once in the blood, will be completely deactivated by the liver.
Let's debunk myths. Cadaverine is found in fly agarics, boletus mushrooms, ergot, and belladonna, but poisoning with these products occurs under the influence of other substances. Cadaverine, as a product of the breakdown of hops, is also found in beer, but poisoning from cadaveric poison has never been recorded, even after such abundant and frequent libations of beer that Czechs and Germans allow themselves.
If you receive a toxic dose of the biogenic amine, neurin, the symptoms and signs will look like this:
- the lymph nodes are slightly swollen;
- salivation increases, even to the point of drooling;
- a “wet” cough appears, sometimes pneumonia can develop;
- severe nausea and bouts of vomiting;
- rare, but seizures are possible.
However, do not panic - even a pathologist cannot obtain a dangerous dose of neurin. By wearing protective gloves, a mask and goggles, he protects himself from accidental infection with a pathogenic bacillus, virus or bacteria, and not from contact with cadaveric fluid.
By the way, when establishing the causes of a person’s death, bad breath can help the pathologist determine 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 when cuts on the skin become infected, they only cause local inflammation. Even a significant dose of cadeverine and putrescine that enters directly into the blood is successfully deactivated by the liver.
Neuron is much more dangerous than other biogenic amines that make up cadaveric poison. If he gets into large quantities into the blood, it can cause arrhythmia, disruption of the respiratory center, sepsis and gas gangrene, and when neurin gets into the stomach it causes the same consequences, since neither stomach acid, nor the liver, nor the kidneys are able to cope with its neutralization.
Is there any benefit to cadaveric poison?
What benefits can we talk about when it comes to cadaveric poison? It turns out it can! Of course not directly, but indirectly. Research is currently being conducted on the following issues:
- Spermidine and spermine are considered as basic substances for the production of elixirs of longevity and powerful hepatoprotectors. There is an assumption that within 10 years such miracle drugs will be available to everyone. In the meantime, doctors recommend consuming large quantities of foods that contain them - these are legumes, grapefruits, blue cheese, corn and wheat germ.
- It has been proven that biogenic amines support the functioning of ribosomes responsible for protein synthesis. When the brain has a stroke, the level of putrescine increases sharply - this is how the body protects the neurons of the brain. This is what finally explained the fact why stroke patients have a characteristic bad breath.
- Scientists from Brown University have found that putrescine is actively synthesized during epileptic seizures. It prevents the destruction of brain neurons. An experienced emergency physician can differentiate an epileptic seizure from another seizure condition. It is bad breath, 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 debate. Vegetarians convince meat-eaters that headaches on an empty stomach, foul-smelling sweat and bad breath are the result of undigested meat rotting and releasing toxins, which causes mild cadaveric poisoning.
Corpse poison in the delicacies of the peoples of the North
Kopalchem and cadaveric poisons, obtained with food regularly and starting from early childhood, do not cause 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.
U 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, it should be noted once again that tactile contact with decaying organic matter does not pose a risk of poisoning. If you follow the rules of hygiene and sanitation, there will be no consequences from contact with cadaveric poison.
Corpse poison is the general name for substances resulting from the decomposition of living matter. They arise in the process of decay of internal organs and body fluids. In addition, during life, some of these substances are in the body. Various chemical processes occur in a decomposing body, which results in the formation of toxic substances (cadaverine, putrescine and neurin) that have an unpleasant putrefactive odor. Poisoning with cadaveric poison is rare, but this 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 gets into the bloodstream with a small puncture of a finger, it can cause death in a person. Now “cadaveric poison” is an outdated concept. Substances released as a result of the decomposition of the body are called ptomaines. These are biogenic amines that arise during the decomposition of protein tissue. In a corpse they appear 3-4 days after the start of decomposition. And the speed of their development depends on the temperature and humidity conditions of the environment. During this process, a specific smell appears.
Why is cadaveric poison dangerous? It contains toxic substances that are dangerous to the human body. Let's take a closer look at the composition of cadaveric poison:
- Cadaverine. It is a colorless liquid that is soluble in water and alcohol. Has an unpleasant odor. 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 when fish and meat decompose.
- Neuron has a syrup-like consistency. Appears in the process of decay of nerve tissue. Neuron is the most dangerous of all components of cadaveric poison, although it is formed in very small quantities in a decomposing organism.
This makes it clear why cadaveric poison has a negative effect on humans. Moreover, the strength of this effect can be different, which depends on the body’s sensitivity to biogenic amines. Pathologists note that when the skin is wounded during an autopsy, the wound becomes extremely painful and an intense inflammatory process appears. Fever may also occur.
In addition to cadaveric poison, similar substances are found in fly agarics, dope, and belladonna, which are also very poisonous.
Poisoning with cadaveric poison
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 administration 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 unlikely event of absorption into the blood, 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 a corpse, you need to be extremely careful. After all, you can get various infections from a dead person (tuberculosis, pneumonia, sepsis). Harmful bacteria multiply even after a person’s death, some die, but 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 must be cracks or cuts on the skin. However, the substance is slightly toxic. The amount of a particular poison required to kill an 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 we should not exclude the possibility of poisoning with cadaveric poison, as this can still happen.
In this case, immunity deteriorates and viral diseases appear. In more serious cases, even cancer occurs. Digestion deteriorates significantly, so all organs of the body work with increased load. 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.
Dead body odor poisoning
When death occurs in a person or animal, blood stops circulating. Therefore, cells and tissues are not enriched with oxygen, which is why they die. Internal organs decompose along with them. Rotting occurs especially quickly under the influence high temperatures
. And the fetid odor in this case appears on the second day after death.
It is dangerous to be in such a room. After all, each person has a different sensitivity to the smell of decomposition. In some cases, the consequences can be very serious. If a person has received mild poisoning caused by cadaveric poison entering the respiratory tract, nausea or vomiting will be observed for several days. If a person's immune system is weakened, inhaling a foul odor can cause inflammation of the lymph nodes.
The air in the room where the deceased was located may contain bacteria that can lead to various diseases. Therefore, if there is a cadaverous smell in the air, it is urgent to ventilate the room.
Consequences of contact with ptomaines
If cadaveric material gets into an open wound, it can cause inflammation and sepsis. After all, after death, a cadaveric bacillus and a number of other harmful bacteria are formed in the biological material. The greatest danger among them is staphylococcus. But in this case, there are signs not of poisoning, but of an inflammatory process.
Neuron has the greatest toxicity, so it is possible to be poisoned by it. And sick people with weakened immune systems are susceptible to this. In case of intoxication, the patient experiences the following symptoms: 
- muscle spasm, which results in cramps;
- lymph nodes enlarge, especially the cervical ones. Inflammation of the lymph nodes spreads to the subscapular cavity. Here the lymph glands suppurate. In some cases, metastatic ulcers appear;
- sweating increases, which has an unpleasant odor;
- the intestinal microflora is disrupted, which leads to diarrhea. Profuse vomiting begins, possibly with blood particles. As a result, the victim’s body becomes dehydrated;
- There is increased production of saliva, and sputum is released during coughing. The patient may also develop pneumonia.
- Bad breath smells, and this symptom does not disappear even after brushing your teeth.
The consequences of cadaveric odor 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, as a result of increased stress on the arms, the axillary lymph nodes may become swollen again. And this can cause serious suppuration, which leads to damage to the chest.
In addition to acute poisoning, persons who dissect corpses may develop cadaveric warts on the body. These are small tubercles that are characterized by increased pain. True, they are completely safe for health and do not cause complications. Over time, they disappear on their own.
Scientists believe that dangerous cadaveric poison is released when the tissues of the human body rot. That is why people are buried no later than 3 days after death.
Cadaveric poison in food
Meat contains a number of toxic substances. In particular, cadaveric poison was found in meat. These substances are formed especially quickly if the storage conditions of the product are not met. Meat products should only be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 5 degrees Celsius.. If meat is kept in a warm room for more than 3 hours, it should not be eaten, since the decomposition process has already begun.
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 harmful microorganisms formed in meat.
Beer also contains cadaveric poison. During the fermentation of hops, monoamines are formed in the foamy drink, which adversely affect the brain. Cadaverine is also formed, which is a 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 functioning of internal organs, activating metabolism in the body. They even make them based on them medications. For example, in the 50s of the last century, scientist Dorogov developed the drug ASD based on cadaveric amines. It is the basis for the treatment of stomach ulcers, skin diseases and infectious diseases.
Prevention of poisoning
Poisoning with cadaveric poison is almost impossible, since a living organism copes with it on its own. However, after contact with cadaveric tissues, you must wash your hands, and it is recommended to treat all open wounds with hydrogen peroxide. If the deceased was in the apartment for some time, after removing him, everything should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
People with weakened immune systems are not recommended to have contact with the dead. It is not recommended to touch them or kiss them goodbye. After all, when infected with cadaveric poison, death can occur. If your health is good, then you should not be afraid of the dead.
To this day, cadaveric poisons have not been fully studied.. And although they are believed to be safe for humans, there is no harm in taking precautions. If poisoning does occur, it is necessary to urgently go to the hospital, because intoxication with cadaveric poison can be very dangerous. A person could also become infected with some kind of disease from the deceased. One way or another, it is necessary to get checked.
Today it is quite difficult to understand what was true and what was fiction in stories about poisoning that have come down to our days through the centuries. After all, at that time there were no tests or 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 - ancient Chinese poison magical properties. According to 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. Poison was then extracted from the creature and used to kill, cause illness, or cast a love spell. Victims of gu poisoning died from vomiting blood. It was rumored that Gu could even kill from a distance.
2. Poison on Parysatis' knife
Parysatis, 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 Statira “took up 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 could not simply poison her daughter-in-law, since both women distrusted each other 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 herself a piece of chicken (with the clean side) and handed the knife to her daughter-in-law. As a result, she died a painful death, but Parysatis’ victory turned out to be Pyrrhic. While on her deathbed, Statira convinced her husband that his mother was to blame 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 fragments of ice from Niflheim (the original kingdom of ice in the north) met sparks from Muspelheim (the original kingdom of fire in the south) in Ginnungagap (primary chaos, the world abyss), the ice melted. This liquid was eitr, the primordial substance from which the primordial being was born - the giant Ymir.
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 men, was made from Ymir's eyebrows. Eitr was thus responsible for the entire world and all life in it, but it was also a deadly poison, strong enough to kill the gods. According to Norse mythology, at the great final battle of Ragnarok, the great serpent Jormungandr, which encircles Midgard, will rise from the ocean to poison the sky.
Thor will kill Jormungandr, but since his blood consists of eithr, Thor will die from poison after walking only nine steps. In Scandinavian folklore, the legendary liquid of life and death has become synonymous with deadly toxins. In Old Icelandic the word "Eitr" meant "poison", and in modern Icelandic the word "Eitur" means the same thing.
4. White Borgia powder
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 with each other. As a result, Jem 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 for keeping his brother away from the Ottoman Empire so that he would not lay claim to the throne.
As a result, the Maltese handed Cem over to Pope Innocent VIII in Rome. After Innocent's death in 1492, he was succeeded by Alexander VI (1431-1503), the infamous Rodrigo Borgia. Bayezid continued to annually pay half of the income of the Ottoman Empire for the maintenance of his brother in Rome. The gravy train ended in September 1494, when Charles VIII invaded Italy to seize the Kingdom of Naples, which he planned to use as a launching pad for a new crusade (the goal of which was to recapture Jerusalem).
When Charles VIII reached Rome, he made a deal with the pope, according to which he stopped further conquest of Italy, but received “the goose that lays the golden eggs” - Jem. But when the French took Jem from Rome on January 28, 1495, on the way to Naples on February 25, he suddenly died. Rumors that Cem had been poisoned by the Borgia Pope began to spread almost immediately. Popular rumor claimed that Jem was given a mysterious white powder of unknown composition, which supposedly could kill several weeks after entering the body.
The mysterious white powder soon turned into a legendary poison. One dose of poison could kill instantly, within days or months. It was a substance white as snow with a pleasant taste, which could easily and imperceptibly be mixed into any food product or drink. It could even supposedly be poured into boots or added to candles, which made their smoke deadly. This is how the legends about the famous Borgia poisoners began.
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 non-suspicious liquid. It was assumed that the poison was made from arsenic, Spanish fly, copper leaf and/or snapdragon. He supposedly could kill with exceptional precision: the dose could be calculated so as to kill immediately, in a week, in a month or in a year. Some stories claim that victims gradually lost all their hair and teeth and shrank until they finally died in agony.
Others insist that there were no such acute symptoms, the victim simply began to experience an incomprehensible weakness that never went away and led to death. The poison was usually added to food, but sometimes it was applied to the cheek to infect the victim through a kiss.
6. Inheritance powder
Poudre de succession or "inheritance powder" 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'Aubray, Marquise de Brenvilliers (1630-1676). Various sources claim that the powder consisted of ground glass, “lead sugar,” a powdered version of aqua tophane, and arsenic. The poison was supposedly so deadly that simply inhaling the powder would kill instantly.
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 extensive knowledge of poisons, which he generously shared with his new friend. After his release, Sainte-Croix told the Marquise about the poisons, who began experimenting with various compositions, distributing poisoned bread to unsuspecting poor people in hospital wards.
Marie's first deliberate victim was her father. After that, she killed her brothers Antoine and Fran so that she would 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 waterboarding. She was then beheaded and burned.
Universal antidote
The ruler of the Pontic kingdom, Mithridates VI Eupator (134-63 BC), is said to have been paranoid. However, this 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 in order to place his brother on the throne. When the young heir discovered that he was getting worse and worse, he fled to the desert, where over the years he tried to develop immunity to any poisons.
It worked. Already in adulthood, Mithridates was known as “inexorable.” 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 big mistake of the ancients was the creation of gu. People wishing to gain wealth would put all kinds of insects and reptiles in one pot, and after a year they would open it to find one remaining creature that had devoured all the others. That's what 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 have also long and very carefully protected their subjects from the tricks of demonic forces: until the beginning of the 20th century, accusations of witchcraft entailed the most cruel measures.
For a long time, one of the means of “cultivating witchcraft” was the creation of an all-powerful creature (insect or reptile) called gu, which translated means “damage, rot, poison.” However, the Chinese sages also used the term “gu” to refer to any secret harmful action.
RECIPE FOR COOKING HELL POT GU
Ancient manuscripts contain various methods for preparing gu poison. However, they are connected by a common component: the mandatory presence poisonous insects or snakes. The mountain residents of Guangdong and Guangxi were considered recognized experts in gu witchcraft, from whom this demonic infection spread throughout the country.
Typically, on a hot day in midsummer, all sorts of reptiles and insects would be collected. Snakes, centipedes, frogs and spiders were placed in one vessel so that they would devour each other. After a long time (in some cases no less than a year), the vessel was opened and the last creature was discovered, which had overcome all the others and, as the sorcerers believed, had enormous spiritual power.
If, for example, a snake survived, it was called a gu snake; if a louse survived, it became a gu louse. The gu animal was placed in a vase, placed in a place of honor in the house, and something like an altar was built around the vessel. The holders of gu made sacrifices, prayed before him, and asked for help in unkind and unselfish deeds.
The venom of this creature was often used for fatal poisoning, and in this purpose it was reliable. “When the poison enters a person, sharp pain begins in his stomach and heart, and there is a feeling as if some animal is eating him from the inside; it spews out vomit and bloody liquid with the smell of rotten meat, and if the person is not treated immediately, all five of his internal organs will be devoured and he will die,” this is how the Chinese historian expressively describes the effect of poison gu.
After the death of a poisoned person, the infection spreads unhindered in the immediate space, and therefore anyone who is near the dying person can himself become a target of the devil’s defeat.
Often gu was made for enrichment - one's own or the family's. In this case, prayers should be offered to him. Wealth would come to the house of the holder of the witch pot, but a neighbor or other person not associated with the clan of gu owners would become seriously ill or die. It was believed that gu was a source of unjust wealth and therefore no different from theft and robbery: those who used gu, like thieves, were mutilated in the markets and cut in half.
WITCHRY AND REBELLION
During the reign of the Han dynasty (2nd century BC), belief in the omnipotence of gu witchcraft was truly universal. The general horror of the all-pervasive devilish magic reached the imperial palace.
Historical chronicles tell about amazing events: the eradication of corruption at high state level caused a bloody rebellion. Chinese Emperor Wu-di(II century BC) “in the fifth year of his reign, he imprisoned those who created gu, and their heads were displayed on poles.”
What preceded these events? At that time, the emperor was suffering severely from an unknown illness. He believed that he owed his suffering to those close to him who practiced gu, cast devilish spells and cast evil spells.
The emperor's favorite, Jiang Chong, took advantage of these suspicions. With the help of intrigue, he turned Wu Di against his wife and heir to the throne, Prince Liu Ju: he inspired the emperor that there was a conspiracy and gu going on in the inner chambers of the palace. The Emperor authorized Chun to take appropriate measures to eradicate this evil, “from whomever it may come.”
Without thinking twice, Chun, with the help of the sorcerers subordinate to him, began to dig holes in order to find human figures allegedly hidden there and other traces of damage - of course, in the houses of his political opponents and ill-wishers. Naturally, witchcraft objects were planted in advance, “in order to reveal traces of the crime.” The unfortunate victims, after brutal torture, one after another slandered each other, accusing each other of using gu. Suspicion of “plotting a rebellion” affected 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 finally found a statue made of tong wood, which was equivalent to casting a spell. The Crown Prince, realizing the precariousness of his position, in despair turned to his mentor Shi-de for advice. The teacher ordered 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 common population of the Celestial Empire 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 hanged himself.”
Soon many people stopped believing in the conspiracy of the Gu sorcerers, and Emperor Wudi himself realized that “the prince’s actions were guided only by fear, and nothing more.” In order to restore belated justice, he ordered the extermination of Jiang Chong’s entire family so that his family would end once and for all, and the remaining henchmen were burned. This bloody hysteria lasted about a year, cost the lives of tens of thousands of people and went down in the history of Ancient China as the “rebellion of the crown prince.”
MEANS OF SALVATION FROM DAMAGE
If severe punishments could limit the criminal acquisition of wealth by subjects in the Celestial Empire, then the laws remained powerless in the face of the grave consequences.
Chinese medicine has preserved evidence of many medicines, capable of resisting the harmful effects of gu. However, first of all, the doctor had to accurately diagnose the disease. All the patient had to do was spit into the water, and if the saliva sank, then the person was considered infected with gu; if it remained on the surface, it means that the infection did not affect the patient.
The main method of neutralizing gu poison was treating like with like, that is, reptiles and insects used in the preparation of gu also turned out to be a remedy against gu. It was important to establish which animal’s poison caused the infection. However, the universal treatment against demonic corruption remained the consumption of “everything that could be obtained” from a domestic cat.
In the ancient medical book “Lungs and simple recipes to protect life" it says: "As a protection against poison, gu s early age you can eat cat meat; then gu will not cause any harm.” By the way, to this day 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 technique. It was enough to slap the innkeeper on the shoulder and ask directly if Gu lived in his house. It was believed that if a person reveals his knowledge of witchcraft, then he also knows ways to resist any adversity, and gu in this case is not able to fully demonstrate its power.
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 by Heaven of male offspring, and if boys were born in the family, they usually did not live to adulthood.
The destruction, even through negligence, of an animal gu threatened the inevitable death of its owners. Therefore, the owners carefully protected this creature.
Nowadays, the craft of “snake pot” makers is almost lost. And the stories of Gu sorcerers 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 are instantly launched 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 “sweetish” corpse smell, which causes a gag reflex in many.
The higher the ambient temperature, the faster the processes during which the above-mentioned substances are formed. For this reason, cool conditions are maintained in morgues in order to slow down the processes of rotting and decomposition.
The phrase “cadaveric poison” in the 21st century is no longer correct; toxicologists prefer the term “ptomains”, which comes from Greek language, where the word ptoma is translated as corpse or 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 body starts rotting processes of dead organisms. These substances appear in a corpse approximately 3-4 days after death, but these are approximate figures, since much is dictated by the temperature and humidity of the environment.
What is the danger of corpse poison
To answer the question of why cadaveric poison is dangerous, let’s take a closer look at the substances it consists of:
- Cadaverine is a colorless, low-toxic liquid that easily dissolves in alcohol and water and has a specific odor. This ptomaine appears not only during rotting, decomposition of proteins, it is also found in beer and various plants, such as soybean, belladonna, ergot horns, boletus, fly agaric.
Cadaverine is the most studied ptomain, on the basis of which experts say that this substance in itself does not pose a health threat. Moreover, in the large intestine of a healthy person, processes constantly take place, the result of which is, among other things, the formation of cadaverine.
- Putrescine is a toxic substance, but it is also formed in small quantities in the large intestine in a healthy person.
- Neuron is the most toxic ptomaine; it is formed in nerve cells and has a syrup-like consistency. Experiments on monkeys showed that a dose of 11 mg/kg is sufficient for poisoning and death. However, in rotting remains this substance is formed in negligibly small quantities, which means that it is impossible to be poisoned by it upon contact with a corpse.
Let us add to this picture that the listed poisons cannot live long outside a 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 thing about a cadaverous smell is the gag reflex that it can cause. To neutralize this “aroma” in professional field They use a special chemical - keslivol.
However, there are stories among people that a person may be poisoned with cadaveric poison. And in ancient times, warriors smeared their arrows with it to make them poisonous, and the wounded enemy actually died. How to explain this?
- In ancient times, they did not know what to do if cadaveric poison got into an open wound. The most they could do to help the victim was to quickly cauterize the wound, but if time was lost, the person died.
- Death generally occurred not from the cadaveric poison itself, but from the pathogenic bacteria contained in it. If the “source” of the poison suffered from meningitis, pneumonia, or sepsis, the bacteria of these diseases continued to live in his corpse. And once it enters the bloodstream of a living person, it actively reproduces. Particularly dangerous are the corpses of those who died from pneumonic plague and anthrax.
So, the person wounded by a poisoned arrow died not from a cadaveric disease, but from the fact that his immunity was lowered due to the injury, and the bacteria of the disease from which the “source” of the ptomains died multiplied in the blood. 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 neutralized 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.
The human body has ideal mechanisms for neutralizing cadaveric poison. Touching a corpse poses no danger to it.
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 was already said earlier: ptomaines are neutralized in the acidic environment of the stomach. For their toxic effect, you need to drink a barrel of such water in one sitting.
The danger is not ptomains, but other bacteria adjacent to them, for example, botulism, staphylococcus.
If cadaveric material gets on an open wound, the likelihood of inflammation and sepsis developing is very high due to the above-mentioned bacteria. The most common is staphylococcus. Biogenic amines themselves do not pose a danger, as any pathologist will confirm.
Symptoms of poisoning and assistance to the victim
Most often, this symptomatology is observed by pathologists. Although they know about safety measures, they put on gloves and masks before opening, sometimes infection cannot be avoided. When this happens, cadaveric tubercles form on the fingers. However, that’s where it all ends - they go away on their own, although they are quite painful. This phenomenon is unpleasant, but has no consequences.
Neuron is the most toxic ptomaine. Although a negligible amount of it is formed in a corpse, it can provoke the following reaction in sick, weakened people: 
- vomiting
- cough with copious sputum,
- strong salivation
- pneumonia,
- swelling of the lymph nodes,
- convulsions.
If a person is actually poisoned by neurin, the outcome is often fatal. When cadaveric materials get into large incised wounds, from where blood literally gushes, the ptomains are washed out with it. But if the cadaver stick gets into puncture, small, lacerated wounds, scratches or hangnails, it can provoke a slight inflammation, which goes away without consequences.
If it happens that a person with open wound came into contact with a corpse, you need to do the following:
- rinse the wound with running water,
- cauterize it with an acidic solution of vinegar, sulfur or nitrogen,
- lubricate with iodine to completely neutralize the poison.
If these measures are taken on time, then even inflammation will not appear.
Prevention of poisoning by biogenic amines
A person with normal immunity is not in any danger from the body of a deceased person, even if it remains in his house for quite a long time. However, when health is weakened by any illness, it is better to refrain from observing the tradition and not kiss the deceased.
When the deceased has been removed, the room where he was located must be wet cleaned using disinfectant solutions. Moreover, everything must be washed - the walls, the floor, the table where the coffin with the deceased stood, and 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 smell of a corpse does not disappear in the house for a long time, order professional disinfection. Specialists can use not only keslivol to neutralize the odor, but also ultraviolet emitters, thanks to which the room can again breathe freely.
Corpse poison and meat
If it is stored incorrectly, protein breakdown products will certainly appear in it, and other toxic compounds will also form, such as:
- skatole,
- urea,
- indole,
- phenol.
It is these compounds that give that nasty smell, which they try to get rid of by processing the meat in various ways - soaking it in an acidic solution, seasoning it generously with spices.
These deli meats pose health risks. The fact that a person has been poisoned by them can be determined by:
- headache,
- weaknesses,
- dizziness,
- nausea, vomiting,
- diarrhea.
Help for the victim in such a situation is the same as for ordinary poisoning:
- flush the stomach
- give sorbent,
- provide plenty of fluids,
Some indigenous inhabitants of the Far North have dishes whose recipes are not entirely common for our people. The meat is buried in the sand near the surf, 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 shark sharks. The Chukchi in Russia are preparing a soup with venison that has spent several weeks in a barn. And such a dish as kopalhem - a deer buried in a swamp for a rainy day - for them is both a delicacy and a sacred food.
We do not advise you to try such dishes if your menu previously 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 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. We just need to follow the rules of sanitation and hygiene, which we are taught since kindergarten, this will help neutralize all the consequences of contact with cadaveric poison.
