Poisoning with cadaveric poison. Corpse poison in our time

Mentions of the dangers of cadaveric poison are often found in fiction created before the beginning of the 20th century.

But in modern medical writings, they practically do not talk about it. Unless only magicians and adherents of alternative methods of treatment sometimes talk about ptomaine. So what is this mysterious toxin, and is it dangerous for modern humans?

In fiction books, cadaveric poison is often spoken of as a most dangerous toxin that can even penetrate the skin and cause death in a few days. What to say about the contact of this substance with blood.

According to some "specialists", it is enough just to prick a finger with a needle, which had previously pierced the skin of a dead person, how to avoid inevitable death will definitely not work.

In fact, all this is not true. After all, otherwise the workers of morgues and ritual services would die every day from contact with the most dangerous toxin. But this doesn't happen.

This fear of cadaveric poison is due to the fact that until the beginning of the 20th century, people often died from infectious diseases. It was possible to get infected both from a sick person and from a dead person. Therefore, death from infection was often attributed to contact with a particular toxin produced in a decaying body.

In modern medicine, the designation "cadaveric poison" is not used, as it has long been considered obsolete. Today, toxicologists talk more about ptomains. These are biogenic amines formed as a result of the breakdown of proteins and amino acids. They accumulate in dead bodies during their decay. The rate of their accumulation depends on the air temperature and on the level of humidity of the environment. They usually become noticeable three to four days after the date of death.

The process of formation of ptomaines is accompanied by the release of special gases, which give the corpse a characteristic unpleasant odor and indicate the processes of decomposition taking place in it.

The composition of the so-called cadaveric poison includes several compounds. The largest volume part falls on four low-toxic compounds - putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine. The lethal dose of the first two poisons is 2000 mg/kg, the other two - 600 mg/kg. Therefore, poisoning them is almost impossible.

The lethality of ptomaines has been studied in rats, so critical dose data for humans are tentative.

Neurin is the most toxic ptomaine. It is formed during the decomposition of nerve cells. Experiments on monkeys have shown that the lethal dose of this compound is 11 mg/kg. This makes it possible to attribute neurin to highly toxic compounds. But very little of it is formed in rotting remains, so its influence is not critical.

The best studied ptomaine is cadaverine. It is not dangerous and is normally found in the human large intestine, as it is produced during digestion. This substance can be found in some mushrooms, for example, boletus and fly agaric, plants such as ergot, henbane and dope, soybeans and many others. Putrescine is also normally present in the human body. It is he who is responsible for the appearance of bad breath.

Outside the rotting body, cadaverine and putrescine quickly lose their toxicity and do not pose any threat to the human body.

Are contacts with cadaveric poison dangerous?

No. The toxicity of ptomaines is too low and they cannot harm a person with simple household contact. Everyone knows that getting cadaveric material into wounds can provoke sepsis. This is true, but it has nothing to do with cadaveric poison. When open wounds come into contact with a corpse, they can become infected with bacteria, which provoke inflammation. Most often it is staphylococcus aureus, which often multiplies in the body after death.

Therefore, cases of diseases after infection of wounds with cadaveric material are associated not with semi-mythical poison or quite real ptomains, but with infection of tissues with bacteria. Just touching a dead person can't poison you. Also, there is no danger of being in the same room with a corpse.

Ptomains can provoke poisoning only if they are administered intravenously in high concentrations. In such a situation, they can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms:

The ingestion of large amounts of cadaverine and putrescine in the digestive tract can provoke intestinal poisoning. If toxins get into the wound, it can become inflamed, but usually everything goes without consequences. Neurin is more dangerous. If it enters the blood or gastrointestinal tract in sufficiently high concentrations, it can provoke respiratory failure, arrhythmia, sepsis and gangrene.

Can cadaveric poison be beneficial?

Ptomains are not only part of the so-called cadaveric poison, but can also be very useful to the human body. Biogenic amines stimulate certain biochemical processes in the body and can be used in the treatment of wounds, burns, skin and digestive tract diseases.

The most famous drug containing ptomains is ASD. It is produced from meat and bone meal by sublimation at high temperatures without air access. This process makes it possible to obtain valuable low molecular weight compounds, including ptomaines.

It would seem, what is the connection between toxins from corpses and cooking? It turns out she is. Many northern peoples traditionally cook food from rotten meat or fish.

In different areas, recipes can vary greatly, for example:

• Shark hakarl is cooked in Iceland. To do this, the meat is buried for a couple of weeks on the surf line, and then served as a delicacy.
• Kiviak is a dish of seal stuffed with seagulls and buried for seven months. It is prepared throughout northern Europe and Asia.
• The Chukchi love venison soup. Before that, they keep the meat in the barn for several weeks.
• Kopalhem is a deer buried in a swamp. This is not just food, it is used in rituals and is considered sacred food. Also, similar dishes are prepared from walrus, seal, duck and whale.

Over time, not only ptomaines are formed in the meat, but also other toxic substances, such as phenol, indole, skatole and urea. Therefore, you should not pounce on such a delicacy if you have not tried it before. Representatives of the northern peoples have been eating such meat since childhood, so their body is used to coping with such toxins. And in an unprepared person, eating spoiled meat can cause serious food poisoning.

How to protect yourself from cadaveric poisoning

We all have occasional contact with corpses, for example, if someone close to us dies. In this case, you should not be afraid of poisoning. Being in the same room with the dead does not threaten a healthy person.

It is not dangerous to touch the dead, to wash and dress them. But the traditional kissing of corpses should be avoided, this can contribute to the transmission of infections, both from the deceased to the living, and between numerous relatives saying goodbye to the deceased.

In case of accidental contact of an open wound with a corpse, it must be washed with running water and soap. You can also use any disinfectant.

After the deceased leaves the house, it is necessary to do a wet cleaning. The presence of a corpse in the room does not pose any danger, but if you want, you can wash all surfaces with a disinfectant solution. You also need to wash yourself with soap. If an unpleasant smell persists in the room, it is necessary to ventilate it well.

UV disinfection will not harm. This will help to completely protect yourself and provide fresh air in the room.

There are many dark legends about cadaveric poison, thanks to stories from classical literature, articles from the Internet or magical rites. But, despite such a terrible name, few people understand what this substance is. Why is cadaveric poison dangerous and can it be poisoned in the modern world?

What is cadaveric poison

Cadaveric poison is such specific chemical compounds that are released from a dead organism after death. The modern name is Ptomians (from the Greek "ptoma", meaning a dead body, a corpse).
When the blood stops circulating through the vessels, biochemical processes continue to occur, but without the participation of oxygen. They are aimed at complete decomposition and further disposal of dead tissues. These processes are accompanied by the formation of new substances - decay products of the tissues of the corpse. Thus, cadaveric poison appears.

Different individuals are differently susceptible to such substances. Ptomians are not present in the classification of poisons, since some of these substances are capable of provoking blood poisoning, while others have a nerve-paralytic effect.

It was previously believed that cadaveric poison killed anyone who came into contact with the dead, especially people who performed autopsies. But then it turned out that they become infected with the accompanying pathogenic microflora through wounds and cuts on their hands. People died due to the lack of antibacterial treatment, as well as due to violations of personal hygiene, and cadaveric substances have nothing to do with it. Therefore, pathologists and forensic experts wear gloves and masks during their work.

The composition of cadaveric poison includes many substances that affect the body in different ways. They also appear at different times, depending on temperature, humidity and the cause of death, but on average it is about 4 days after death. Among the Ptomians there are:

• Cadaverine is a cleavage product of the protein lysine in the form of a clear liquid. It is soluble in alcohol and water. Liquid appears in the large intestine, and it is also present in various plants (fly agaric mushrooms, soybeans, dope, belladonna and others) and even in some beers. For human poisoning, the concentration of cadaverine should be in the range of 2000 mg / kg.
• Putrescine is the main cause of a terrible putrid smell. It is also formed in the intestines, as a decomposition product of ornithine. The lethal dose is not less than 2000 mg / kg, that is, it is difficult for them to get poisoned. In addition, putrescine perishes outside of dead tissue, meaning it will not cause harm if it gets into the hands of a living person.
• Spermidine and spermine. These are decay products of the same ornithine in the form of a mucous liquid. They are released in smaller quantities than the previous substances, but the poisoning dose is more concentrated (600 mg/kg). This is still not enough for serious poisoning.
• Neurin is a syrup-like liquid that forms in nerve cells. Neurin is highly toxic, with a lethal dose of 11 mg/kg.

Almost all of these substances are low-toxic, unable to survive outside the corpse, and therefore not harmful to a healthy person. Although the smell is creepy, the vapors of cadaveric poison are non-volatile, that is, they are not released into the air and are not capable of poisoning the body through the respiratory tract.

Rather, you need to be afraid of infections that cause pain or from which the deceased died, because they can be transmitted to living people.
Oddly enough, in small concentrations, ptomians are beneficial to humans. On their basis, the drug "ASD" was developed. It has antiseptic, stimulating, wound healing properties. It is used both for external treatment of skin wounds, and oral for stomach ulcers.

Symptoms of cadaveric poisoning

As already mentioned, cadaveric poison, in addition to an irritating smell, does not harm a person. But, there is an exception to every rule. If the infection occurred as a result of contact between cadaveric tissues and a fresh wound surface, nothing bad will happen to a healthy person when treated with an antiseptic.

The wound may become inflamed, but even without specific treatment, it will heal in a couple of days, and all components of cadaveric poison are deactivated by the liver. But, if the infection occurred in a person with metabolic disorders or pathology of the hepatorenal system, an ordinary wound can develop into a big problem.

Since neurin is highly toxic, poisoning with it is not asymptomatic. People with weak immunity or concomitant diseases have a vivid clinical picture. Symptoms of ptomian poisoning include:

• nausea and vomiting that does not bring relief;
• temperature rise;
• severe salivation and subsequent dehydration of the body;
• increased sweating;
• cough with a large amount of sputum;
• constipation, but more often diarrhea, which also leads to dehydration;
• swelling of the lymph nodes;
• weakness and malaise;
• muscle spasm and convulsions in rare cases;
• development of pneumonia.

These symptoms are characteristic of acute poisoning. If the process has passed into the chronic stage, cadaveric warts may appear on the hands. They look like ordinary small bumps, but are very painful. Their mechanism is associated with the primary lesion of the wound by Ptomians, followed by infection with bacteria. They pass on their own.

All these symptoms soon disappear, death occurs only if Neurin is administered moderately in the required dose intravenously. Ordinary contact with the deceased does not threaten with serious illnesses, except if an accompanying pathogenic microflora has joined the site of the lesion.
Cadaveric poison that has fallen into the water will not kill a person either. The fact is that stomach acid is able to neutralize toxins diluted in water. Moreover, such situations are practically impossible.

Ptomians in beer are considered non-hazardous to consumers. During the decay of hops, monoamines are formed, which are similar to the substances of cadaveric poison. Many people think that they are completely safe, but in fact, monoamines adversely affect the brain, however, like alcohol, which is part of it. Drinking beer in large quantities is not recommended.

As for raw meat, it is better to eat it fresh. Raw foodists who store it in the ground are rarely poisoned, because they correctly perform this technology, and their bodies are already accustomed to such food. For an ordinary person, poisoning with meat that has been in a warm room for more than three hours is very difficult to tolerate. A stale, decaying product contains a lot of biological amines. All of them decay a little, poisoning the meat product.

First aid for cadaveric poisoning

It is almost impossible to get poisoned by cadaveric poison. But sometimes it happens among mortuary or funeral parlor workers. Also, this list includes people with weak immunity who are present at the funeral.

Since it is most likely to become infected through a cut, the first aid is to use the right antiseptic. First of all, rinse with running water. Next, caustic agents are used, such as acetic, sulfuric or nitric acid. In order not to join the bacterial microflora, iodine is applied near the wound, which is also able to neutralize the poison. The affected area must be bandaged or sealed with adhesive tape.

How to avoid cadaveric poisoning

For mortuary staff, chain mail or regular gloves and a mask will be the best prevention. After contact with the deceased, you need to thoroughly wash your hands, even if they were wearing gloves. The mortuary room should be treated with ultraviolet emitters several times a day.

For people with weak immunity, it is better not to perform all the ritual traditions, for example, not to kiss the dead goodbye. Also, it is not necessary to force small children to participate in such rites, since their defenses are not yet sufficiently developed.

The room in which he stayed must be thoroughly washed, both with detergents and disinfectants. Rags that have been washed should be thrown away. Be sure to ventilate the room so that the putrid smell goes away.

Conclusion

The danger of cadaveric poison is not as great as the possibility of contracting an infection from the deceased. But, if the infection did occur, the prognosis is mostly favorable. No wonder they say that you need to be afraid of the living, not the dead.

Since ancient times, dozens of myths and hundreds of horror stories about deaths after contact with dead people have been associated with cadaveric poison. The Spets-Uborka team regularly encounters premises that require cleaning after the death of a person or animal, so we can tell you in detail which of the myths is true and which is fiction.

Cadaveric poison is usually called fluids flowing from a dead body. This is not a completely correct name, since feces, urine, remains of undigested food, blood and other liquids can flow out of the body along with cadaveric poison. In fact, cadaveric poison has only 4 components:

• Putrescine;

  Cadaverin.

The group of these substances is also scientifically called ptomains (from the word "ptoma" - a corpse). This whole bouquet is the result of the decomposition of biological tissues (protein, fats). Putrefactive processes are very dangerous, because the toxins released by microorganisms greatly reduce immunity, cause blood poisoning, and necrosis. In a dead body, due to the lack of blood circulation, the body begins to break down after a few minutes, and this is accelerated to a large extent due to the enzymes present in the blood. The body begins to digest itself from the inside. And given that there are about 5-7 kg of bacteria involved in digestion in the intestines, the body begins to rot already on the first day after death.

Poisoning with cadaveric poison is possible in several ways:

Inhalation of cadaverous smell - in the air, especially in enclosed spaces, fumes of cadaveric poison accumulate, which can easily cause poisoning through the respiratory tract. Avoiding poisoning is quite easy - use respirators or a gas mask, but at a high concentration, a couple of breaths are enough to get a whole list of unpleasant symptoms: vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, fever. However, the most dangerous outcome after contact with the deceased is psychological disturbances, also arising from the smell, environment and body type.

The entry of cadaveric poison into the body through the esophagus is already a rarer situation, but sometimes it occurs. The fact is that cadaveric poison spreads strongly around the rooms, and a person can accidentally touch it, and then wipe his mouth or wash himself with untreated hands. The main ptomaines enter the esophagus and begin to show their toxicity, causing dizziness, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, sometimes convulsions and loss of consciousness. First aid after identifying such symptoms - disinfection of the victim's hands, changing clothes, a large amount of liquid, contacting a doctor.

The entry of toxins into the blood is an extremely rare case, but sometimes it happens. The corpse can be heavily "impregnated" with cadaveric poison. For example, putrescine, cadaverine and spermidine do not lose their danger even in dry form. Therefore, touching a corpse with an area of ​​skin with damage (wounds, ulcers, calluses, raw material) entails instantaneous absorption of cadaveric poison into the blood. Very rarely, but there are deaths after blood poisoning with ptomaine.

Please note that although cadaveric poison is toxic, due to the conditions of its formation, infection is extremely rare. A person simply disdains touching the discharge from a corpse, immediately determines the danger by smell and avoids negative symptoms. At the same time, during wars and disasters, cases of serious poisoning due to contact with the dead are not uncommon, but for the most part they are associated with such factors:

Defeat by dangerous viruses and putrefactive bacteria;

Infection of the blood due to the entry of bacteria into the blood.

By themselves, amines are not very dangerous. They can be recognized by their characteristic cadaverous odor. Their poisoning in nature occurs if the animal ate carrion, and the unprepared digestive system could not suppress the pathogenic flora and process toxins. At the same time, animals such as hyenas, vultures, wolves and bears can easily digest infected meat even with a high content of cadaveric poison.

Symptoms of cadaveric poisoning

There are many prejudices and legends associated with the theme of the dead. Starting from curses, ending with ancestral punishments sent down by the dead. Symptoms of cadaveric poisoning are more prosaic: vomiting, diarrhea, fever. No instant deaths, excruciating pain and suffering from "touching death."

Some animals, such as the Komodo dragon, use cadaveric poisoning of victims to quickly exhaust them and capture them. In the teeth of the Komodo dragon there are special hollows into which the flesh is hammered and begins to decompose. Further, the reptile only needs to bite the animal once so that bacteria, toxins and viruses enter the bloodstream. Combined effect:

Cadaveric poison causes diarrhea, vomiting, which depletes the body, causes dehydration. Ptomains also sharply suppress the immune system, which is reoriented not to neutralize toxins.

Bacteria and viruses in conditions of suppressed immunity and dehydration begin to spread almost instantly through the tissues of the body, forming hundreds of foci of infection.

With people, it is difficult to imagine that cadaveric poison directly enters the bloodstream or esophagus. Symptoms of poisoning with cadaveric poison almost always come down to malaise, only in the most severe cases are convulsions, fainting, loss of coordination observed.

Lethal dosages of cadaveric poison:

Putrescine - 2 g/kg;

Cadaverine - 2 g/kg;

Spermidine and spermine - 0.6 g/kg.

Thus, for the average person to die from cadaveric poison, 100-200 grams of one type of toxin is required intravenously or into the esophagus. Much more dangerous is blood poisoning, especially if the patient was not provided with medical care in a timely manner.

It is noteworthy that the most dangerous toxin from the listed list is cadaverine. It is produced in the large intestine of a dead body, which is known to relax after death. As a result, the vast majority of poisoning with cadaverine is associated precisely with contact with cadaverine, because it is this substance that is actively spreading throughout the room. Putrescine and spermidine are almost always located inside the body membrane, if it is not damaged. Neurin is a decomposition product of nerve fibers, therefore its highest concentration is in the skull of a corpse.

How to avoid cadaveric poisoning?

Everything is quite simple:

Use GLOVES;

Be careful what you touch;

Use respirators or gas masks.

If you need to clean up after the death of a person, it is better to leave this job to professionals. Our specialists will arrive in protective suits, with professional chemicals and quickly put the premises in order.

Please note that, despite the low danger of cadaveric poison, the smells from it will remain indoors for a very long time. It will be impossible to live in such a house without professional cleaning. One of the ways to avoid poisoning is to remove all finishing materials under the corpse, in the most severe cases, furniture, carpets, paper products, clothes, curtains and even wooden floors (down to concrete) are completely recycled. So you can be sure that poisoning in the future with cadaveric poisons will not happen.

A very important nuance when considering the danger of cadaveric poison is the cause of death of a person or animal. Almost always, when people talk about cadaveric poison, they mean cadaveric secretions, which are a cocktail of hundreds of substances. Therefore, it is important to distinguish - cadaveric poison is not very dangerous, but body fluids from a corpse almost always carry enormous risks.

The most dangerous liquids from corpses appear in the following cases:

The person died from tissue necrosis (the body rotted);

The deceased suffered from purulent diseases or cancer;

The man died from a contagious dangerous disease (anthrax, plague, bird flu, typhus, tuberculosis).

Upon contact with secretions, the probability of getting infected with active bacteria and viruses is very high. And in such cases, there is a very real danger of death, especially when it comes to serious illnesses.

Therefore, in addition to the use of personal protective equipment, you can use the following rules:

Do not approach the corpse if severe tissue necrosis has already begun;

Do not contact deceased people whose cause of death you do not know;

Always carefully monitor your well-being, even if your contact with the deceased was a few seconds.

In a healthy person, the immune system can quickly cope with most viruses and pathogenic bacteria. But the death of a loved one is always stress and suffering, which significantly reduces the body's resistance to external threats. Not wanting to "wash dirty linen in public", people try to clean the rooms themselves after the deceased, inhale cadaveric poison and an increased dose of sprayed viruses. The results may be unpredictable.

If you are faced with a similar case, please contact the "Special Cleaning". We know our business, so we will quickly and inexpensively help to remove the consequences of a person’s death. It is always safer, more convenient and faster than doing such unpleasant actions on your own.

The fact that the bodies of dead people and animals can become poisonous after some time was known back in the Middle Ages. When castles were surrounded by enemies and people could not lead a normal life, they always tried to either bury or burn the dead. In ancient Russia, cadaveric poison helped to win over a well-armed enemy. They were smeared with arrows that fell into the joints of armor. Wars died in terrible agony. Then they did not know how to treat such poisoning, so the only means of salvation was to burn the wound in time.

Cadaveric poison was known in the Middle Ages

What it is

The name "cadaveric poison" is not entirely correct, the classification of poisons does not distinguish it as a separate substance. Cadaveric poison, or as they used to be called, ptomains, is a group of chemical compounds. They are formed on the 3rd day after the death of a person and are the product of the breakdown of proteins and amino acids when the body of a person or animal rots. These include cadaverine, spermine, putrescine, neurin, spermidine. The most studied of them is cadaverine.

This group of substances affects a person in different ways. Some of them, getting into the body, cause blood poisoning. Others have a nerve-paralytic effect. Therefore, the classification of cadaveric poison as a separate substance would be erroneous.

Are these substances dangerous?

Previously, people died after the autopsy of corpses, so they believed that it was dangerous. But it has been proven that the poison is low-toxic and non-volatile.

Dangerous or not?

But they died not so much because of the poison itself, but from the infection that caused the death of a person. It is impossible to get poisoned through large wounds with blood, because the blood will wash out the toxic substance. But small wounds are dangerous, cadaveric poison can penetrate into the blood. Our body does its best to get rid of poisons, and gastric juices neutralize the same cadaverine.

Dangerous bacteria, which are numerous in decaying tissues

One of the components of cadaveric poison - neurin becomes the cause of death if a weakened person is poisoned. But why then did people die, because cases of death were actually recorded? The point is not in the components of cadaveric poison (although their action has not been fully studied), but in bacteria, which are numerous in decaying tissues.

This is why it is so important to wash your hands after interacting with a deceased person. If there are wounds on the hand, they must be cauterized with acid. And when the body is taken out of the house, the room must be treated with disinfectants. It is important to remember that cadaveric poison exists, but you should not be afraid of it.

Poison at home

We perceive poison as a deadly poison, but only the name is frightening. But some substances from it are part of our life, traces of cadaveric poisons are found everywhere. So, cadaverine appears in the body due to digestion in the large intestine.

• In plants. It can be found in soy, in mushrooms. Cadaverine is found in plants such as datura, henbane, belladonna, ergot, etc.
• In beer. Moreover, beer contains hop decay products, monoamines. Among them is this same cadaverine. The fact that this drink is drunk by many and in large quantities confirms that the cadaveric poison in beer does not cause serious harm.
• In meat. There are also biogenic amines in meat if it has lain for a long time without freezing or cooking. However, the northern peoples eat the meat of deer that lay in the swamp or were stored in a barn. But, they are used to eating like this, and the body of a resident of the north is stronger than that of a European, so such dishes are popular with them.

There are also biogenic amines in meat if it has lain for a long time without freezing or cooking.

Symptoms

Symptoms of poisoning sometimes appear in pathologists. Therefore, it is so important for people working with corpses to use gloves and masks. If a person had contact without them, and infection occurred, then cadaveric tubercles appear on the person's fingers. They hurt a lot, but they are not dangerous, and gradually disappear. Poisoning with cadaveric poison doctors consider harmless.

Symptoms of severe poisoning are due to neurin, the most toxic substance from cadaveric poison. In corpses, it is found in small quantities. But if we are talking about a weakened or sick person, poisoning is possible. Then the person has the following symptoms:

• saliva flows;
• the patient coughs, and he has a strong sputum, there is also pneumonia;
• nausea and vomiting;
• there may be convulsions;
• lymph nodes swell a little.

Poisoning with this substance often leads to death. The remaining components of cadaveric poison (putrescine, cadaverine) are not so toxic. Talk about cadaveric poison in the water is exaggerated. Many believe that a person who drinks such water will die in agony. Scientists refute this statement, believing that death is caused by microorganisms, and not cadaveric poison.

Those who died from diseases are especially dangerous in this respect. Anthrax or pneumonic plague is easy to pick up from a person or animal that has already died, but cadaveric poison is not to blame for the death of the victim.

Symptoms of serious poisoning appear due to neurin, the most toxic substance from cadaveric poison.

First aid and prevention

If you were in contact with a corpse, and there was an open wound on your hands, it must be washed with running water and cauterized with sulfuric, nitric or acetic acid. Then smear with iodine. If you have the symptoms described above, you should immediately consult a doctor. But more often the human body itself copes with cadaveric poisons.

It is better for people with poor health to avoid the dead, not to touch or kiss them goodbye. The rest should not be afraid of cadaveric poisons, although neutralization will not hurt. After removing the body, it is important to disinfect by thoroughly washing the room. If there is a putrid smell in the house, you need to invite professionals.

Until now, cadaveric poisons have not been fully studied and remain a mystery to scientists. Someday we will know for sure whether they pose a danger to human life. In the meantime, it is better to follow all preventive measures and try to avoid contact with dead animals or people.

Poisoning by cadaveric poison is one of the most common human fears. In ancient times, it was often mentioned by authors in their artistic, magical or esoteric works. Is it so easy to get infected with ptomaine and how dangerous it is for a person this article will tell.

Dead Poison: Popular Myths and Legends

Cadaveric poison for humans is not as dangerous as they say

Cadaveric poison is the subject of many superstitions and prejudices. It is believed that this poison is incredibly dangerous, able to be absorbed through the skin and cause instant death. Allegedly, one prick of a finger will entail inevitable death. It is because of these prejudices that the profession of a pathologist causes wild fear and horror in many people.

All these superstitions are rooted in the depths of centuries. Today's science interprets the fear of the dead by the fact that almost until the very beginning of the twentieth century, epidemics of various diseases raged in the world. Most of them caused the extinction of a large number of people, and the spread of the disease was rapid. As a result, people began to associate the dead with terrible, painful ailments. However, infections were still the main cause of death.

Understand what cadaveric poison is

The name "cadaveric poison" is incorrect and out of date. Currently, in toxicology there is the term ptomains (from the Greek "corpse"). Ptomains are a group of biogenic amines that are formed by the breakdown of protein and amino acids. This happens when a dead body rots. Ptomains are formed in a dead organism on the third or fourth day after death. The rate of formation of biogenic amines is completely dependent on the temperature and moisture content of the environment. This unpleasant process is always accompanied by signs of intense decay, as well as a characteristic smell.

There are four main chemical compounds that are characterized by low toxicity. The toxicity index of poisons means the required amount of a substance that must be in the body in order for death from intoxication to occur. For diamines of cadaveric poison, it is quite high:

• Putrescine - 2000 mg / kg;
• Cadaverine - 2000 mg / kg;
• Spermidine and spermine - 600 mg / kg.

These indicators were derived from studies on rodents. The most poisonous substance in the group was neurin. However, very little is formed in a dead organism.

The most studied substance from the group of ptomaines is cadaverine. This substance can be used to prove that cadaveric poison does not pose a strong threat to life. Cadaverine is formed in the large intestine of a living person as a result of digestion processes. Also, cadaverine is present in poisonous mushrooms, dope, henbane, belladonna, soy and other plant products. From this we can conclude that cadaveric poison is not fatal.

The composition of the poison

Although these poisons are toxic, they cannot exist outside the dead body, so they do not pose a danger to a living organism. Vapors formed from cadaveric poison are also not dangerous.

The rate of formation of these substances in a dead body directly depends on the cause of death. If a person died as a result of a heart attack or injury, then decomposition occurs more slowly. If a person suffered from a purulent disease, then the bacteria of these diseases remain in his body even after death and can pose a threat to others. The most dangerous are the dead bodies of people and animals that died from anthrax or pneumonic plague. Bacteria that enter the bloodstream through skin lesions can cause a small purulent abscess in this place. For immunocompromised people, the symptoms of infection will be more obvious. For a healthy person, ordinary contact with a dead body is not dangerous.

Symptoms of cadaveric poisoning

The most dangerous substance in cadaveric poison is Neurin

Pathologists are most susceptible to infection with cadaveric poison. Therefore, before opening, as a precaution, they put on special protective masks and gloves. If infection does occur, then tubercles form on the fingers, which disappear after a while. Despite the fact that they are quite painful, they are not dangerous for the body.

The most dangerous substance that is part of the cadaveric poison is neurin. When it enters a weakened body, the following symptoms may be present:

• Strong salivation;
• Phlegm when coughing;
• Swollen lymph nodes;
• Vomit;
• Seizures.

Neurin poisoning can lead to death if medical attention is not provided in time.

Substances cadaverine and putrusicin are not so poisonous and their action is neutralized by gastric juice. They do not threaten health.

Large, bleeding wounds are not dangerous for infection. It is much easier to contract cadaveric poison through small wounds. Through barbs, cadaveric poison is not able to penetrate into the human body.

There is an opinion that water infected with cadaveric poison causes death. Such cases do happen, but most often it is due to botulism or a similar infection.

Biogenic amine poisoning

Poisoning with cadaveric poison is practically excluded. The cause of infection can only be the direct introduction into the blood of pure cadaverine or putrescine in a decent dosage. Small doses of these substances are decontaminated in an acidic environment, for example, with the help of gastric juice. The liver is able to disinfect these substances when they enter the bloodstream.

What is the danger of contact with cadaveric poison

Staphylococcus infection may be present with ptomaine

The ingress of particles of cadaveric material into fresh wounds can cause various inflammations and sepsis. Bacteria that develop in a dead body can become the causative agents of these inflammations and infections. Also, staphylococcus infection, which is dangerous to humans, may be present in the cadaveric material.

Is there any benefit in cadaveric poison and what is it?

As mentioned above, cadaveric poison does not pose a particular danger to humans. In addition, biogenic amines may even be useful. Minor doses of ptomaines are able to stimulate the body, because they are biological substances that activate most of the biochemical actions.

The most obvious example is the ASD preparation, which was developed by the scientist A.V. Dorogov after the war. This drug is obtained from meat and bone meal using sublimation at high temperatures. During this process, a large number of bioactive substances are formed, including biogenic amines. With the help of the drug ASD, various types of infections, wounds, burns, skin diseases, ulcers and even cancer are treated.

First aid and treatment

The human body is able to individually cope with cadaveric poison.

When a fresh wound comes into contact with a corpse, it is necessary to rinse it with clean water, and then cauterize the affected area with an acid, such as acetic, nitric or sulfuric. It is allowed to thoroughly blot the wound with iodine, this will help to disinfect the cadaveric poison.

Prevention of poisoning

With stable immunity, infection with cadaveric poison is not dangerous. If you are in poor health, then try not to contact the body of the deceased. After the funeral rituals, be sure to disinfect the room where the body of the deceased was located. If the coffin was on the table, then be sure to wash it with soap or any detergent chemical. If there is a putrid smell in the house, then use the services of professional disinfectors.