Ricin: The Most Effective Poison
Ricin and how deadly it is
“Back in the late ’70s, ricin was used to assassinate a Bulgarian journalist. The KGB modified the tip of an umbrella to inject a tiny pellet into the man’s leg. And we’re talking about an amount not much bigger than the head of a pin.” – Walter Hartwell White
Castor Oil Plant
The Ricinus Communis, or the Castor Oil Plant, is native to Eastern Africa and India, but it also grows in other tropical regions. This plant has seeds, which are known as Castor Beans. While they are not actually beans, they do look a lot like beans, hence the name. In order to get the ricin, all it takes is extracting it from the pulp of the bean after the oil had been squeezed out.
What is Ricin?
Ricin is an extremely effective poison. In just minute doses, ricin is extremely deadly. Ricin will start by giving off flu-like symptoms, before causing death. Since ricin is used in such small doses, it is impossible to trace during an autopsy, unless the doctors are specifically looking for ricin. However, the deadliness factor only applies to pure, professionally made ricin. If ricin is made by someone with little knowledge of chemistry, then the ricin would most likely be less effective due to the lower purity. It could still potentially be deadly, but the chances are lower.
How Useful is Ricin?
Ricin was first used in the 1970s, and there have been cases of it’s use as recently as 2020. The first and only successful attempted assassination with ricin was on September 7, 1978, when a Bulgarian was stabbed in the leg by an umbrella, which shot ricin into his foot. He then died four days later. The most recent attempt was in September 2020, when a package full of ricin addressed to former president Donald Trump was intercepted by law enforcement. The suspect was a Canadian women, who was arrested when she tried to cross the border from Canada into the United States. There is no official method of detecting ricin, but it is possible to find and cure if the doctor knows to look for it.
Related Stories
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricin
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/ricin/ricin.html
https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/chemical_terrorism/ricin.htm
https://www.oakgov.com/health/information/Pages/Ricin.aspx
