Coniine/Poisonous Hemlock

-Immediately after ingesting coniine one feels relatively fine.

-symptoms: “headache, unsteadiness (ataxia), salivation, profuse sweating (diaphoresis) and a rapid heart rate (tachycardia).”

- shortly after the nervous system begins to readily shut down—including paralysis and loss of ability to breathe (Harrison).

-other organisms have reactions to coniine.

-Their symptoms are far more diverse.

- eg. Pigs are affected greatly by coniine. Due to their inability to tell one species of plant apart from another pigs eat a rather large amount of hemlock.

-they then become blind, have similar reactions to humans, and then die.

-examples of other animals with reactions: as cows, horses, and sheep

-Coniine attaches itself to proteins specializing in being receptors.

-coniine "changes [the neurone's] conformation so that they are locked open."

-causing the neurone and the "affected [nerve] control muscles" to malfunction.

-thus forcing the human to be paralyzed.

This paralysis begins at the feet and slowly stops functions throughout your body (RSC-Josh Howgego).

Which is Hemlock?

~In commenting on how similar hemlock looks to other edible plants, Josh Howgego with the Royal Society of Chemistry said, "But don't be fooled - it would be a serious mistake to cook these bad boys up for a Sunday roast."~

The Body's Reaction

The Hemlock Test

Current Research Concerning Coniine

-Coniine is so clearly found in mainly hemlock, that not much research is currently going on.

-Scientists are trying to uncover what other animals have deathly reactions to coniine—such as rabbits and rats.

-as well as some research on the affects of the two types of coniine and how reactions to each may differ.

Inside The Body

The Source

Coniine (Poisonous Hemlock)

Historical and Literary Significance

-originally found within hemlock in Europe.

-currently all across the country including parts of Canada.

-commonly found “along roadsides, hiking trails, ditches and field borders” (ANSCI).

-means of murder and thought of as a toxin

-conium alkaloids are so strong that one may obtain some poison in their system by breathing

-problems arise because hemlock resembles parsley/carrots.

-Most stories concerning coniine end in an anticipated death.

-Socrates, the Greek philosopher, was murdered using coniine

-John Keats, the famous poet, wrote about the sensation of drinking hemlock in the second line of his poem “Ode to a Nightingale.”

-However, coniine is also said to be mentioned as a means of poison in the Old Testament.

-there is no direct mention of coniine, however, a reference to hemlock gives an idea of when the poison began being used.

-while we think of it as a mere poison, Anglo-Saxon's and some current practices use coniine for medicinal purposes

Background

~seemingly beautiful but deadly~

Coniine is an:

- “oily”, “piperidine” alkaloid that is extremely poisonous and can dissolve relatively well in water

-coniine is mainly present in Poisonous Hemlock which means that almost all information about coniine is based on information about hemlock

-aka. Conium Maculatum is from the Apiaceae or parsley family

- first of the alkaloids to be synthesized in 1800s by Albert Ladenburg

-Coniine is most toxic compound in Hemlock (ie. why it is so closely related to it)

Molecule Shape

basic carbon structure with an NH and CH3 attached

C8H17N

set of tetrahedral shaped bonds

It also closely resembles nicotine.

methyl group