Intro to
TOXICOLOGY
Living things also evolved to develop
toxins and make use of certain
chemical compounds that would
harm their predators.
Throughout history, living things have learned
to discriminate between things which were
good to eat and those that were not (Smith,
1952).
Early humans identified these properties and
has used it in hunting and warfare throughout
history.
Plants and reptiles were used to poison
arrowheads
An artist's impression of tribes fishing during the Mesolithic period
may be defined as the science representing the character, source,
TOXICOLOGY
knowledge, lethal dose, fatal effect, analysis of poisons and their curative
measures
toxicon + logos GREEK:
GREEK:
POISON ARROW THOUGHT OR PRINCIPLE
the study of antagonistic effects of chemical
or physical agents on living organisms
In China arrow poisons have been known to the
Han and other peoples for at least 2500 years.
Historically, attempts to both kill and cure
with chemically active preparations (poisons
and drugs) have led to the evolution of
toxicology, so that today it is a discipline of diverse
application and widespread importance
Wolfsbane (aconitum)
widely used in ancient times as poison.
Death usually occurs within 2-6 hours.
the venomous Visha-kanya
or poison girl in Sanskrit - maidens who had slowly developed a tolerance for aconitine, so that
certain death would result from their embrace
विषकन्या
Egyptian knowledge of poisons appears to have been highly advanced
(Nunn, 1996)
Pharmacology was developed to study
chemicals and their effects where it can be
harmful that can cause sickness or
helpful in treatment of illnesses
Among the peoples of the ancient Middle
and Near East, the Egyptians, Assyrians,
Sumerians, and Hebrews all had some
knowledge of poisons, from which they
developed a primitive pharmacology
Much of their experience was bound up with mysticism and the supernatural,
and many details remain unclear…
Mineral poisons were also well known in the ancient world
Hippocrates, Nicander, Dioscorides, Galen, and Paul of Aegina wrote clinical accounts of lead
poisoning, of which there were occasional epidemics (Nriagu, 1983; Scarborough, 1984), and miners
were known to be at risk from the fumes created by smelting processes (Waldron, 1973).
arsenic ore Cinnabar Litharge white lead
Poisons were widely used criminally
during the Greek and roman times, it
reached epidemic proportions
At the time of the civil wars in Rome, poisoning had become
so common that the dictator Sulla issued the first legislative
attempt to prevent poisoning (Lex Cornelia, 82 BCE)
the key figure at the 16th century
PARACELSUS when traditional lore began to
(1493-1541) give way to objective investigation
in science and medicine
“SOLA DOSIS FACIT
VENENUM”
the dose makes the poison
What is there that is not poison? All things are
poison and nothing (is) without poison. Solely
the dose determines that a thing is not a
poison.
• dose-dependency: one of the
basic concepts in toxicology
• drugs and chemicals have effects
on specific organs of the body
THE FATHER OF FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
MATHIEU JOSEPH
BONAVENTURA ORFILA
(1787-1853)
established toxicology on a firm quantitative basis by
introducing new, primarily chemical, experimental methods for
proving lethal intoxications
made the first systematic attempt
to correlate chemical and
biological information concerning
known poisons, combining the use
of postmortem examination with
analytical chemistry
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
• Medico legal aspects of harmful effects of
chemicals
• Legal Investigation of death, poisoning, and
drug use
• Analysis of fluids, tissues, and organs
Toxicants
Substances that produce Toxins
adverse effects of any nature Specific proteins produced
by living organisms
POISONS
S U B STA N C E S T H AT, W H E N I N T R O D U C E D TO
T H E B O DY, I S CA PA B L E O F P R O D U C I N G
N OX I O U S E F F E C T S
ROUTES OF POISONING
INHALATION INGESTION ABSORPTION THROUGH INJECTION
EYES AND SKIN
ELIMINATION OF POISON
Respiration Feces Urine Milk Sweat Tears Saliva
ISO 10993-11
Types of Poisoning
from a medical point of view
Acute Sub-acute Chronic
24 hrs after a 14-28 days of 90+ days
single dose delivery
Prompt and marked cases of short gradual deterioration of
disturbance of function duration and extreme function of tissues which
within a short time; violence may or may not result in
death
Types of Poisoning
from a legal point of view
ACCIDENTAL SUICIDAL HOMICIDAL UNDETERMINED
Actions of Poisons
Corrosives
• Highly irritant poisons
• Local destruction of tissues
• Characterized by nausea, vomiting, local
distress
Irritants
• Produces irritations
• Inflammation of mucous membranes
• Vomiting, pain in abdomen
Neurotics
• Acts on the nervous system
• Delurium, convulsions
• Disorder on circulation and respiration
Depressants
• Slows down or depresses the physiological
action of organs
Stimulants
• Stimulates the physiological action of organs
Hallucinogens
• Hallucinates the physiological action of the
brain
INORGANIC CLASSIFICATION
LD50
the estimated amount of poison that,
under control conditions, will be a lethal
dose to 50% of a population
Tylenol Case Study
[Link]
