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fandomhigh2015-01-29 04:04 am
glacial_queen) wrote in fandomhigh2015-01-29 04:04 am
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History of Poisons, Thursday Per 2
"Kiss kiss!" Their usual teacher was waiting for them outside the Danger Shop today, looking quite cheerful and noticeably less pregnant than the last time they'd seen her. "Today we're visiting the Alnwick Poison Gardens, located in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. Normally, I'd bring you all directly there, but it's winter, so everything we'd want to see is dead. The same goes for my personal poison gardens--" yes, that was a plural "--only they're dead and buried under six feet of snow. So it's the Danger Shop for us today. On the plus side, I got to set the temperature, which means that we get an hour to pretend that it's not bloody freezing outside."
Stepping through the doors to the Danger Shop would usher the students into beautifully designed and sculpted grounds. Off in the distance was a castle, likely familiar to any fans of the Barry Plodder movie franchise. Several hundred feet to their left was a giant treehouse, built into a stand of sweet-smelling lime trees. And directly in front of them stood a walled garden, a pair of forbidding gates barring their entrance. Even without the handy "The Poison Garden" sign above them, it would be easy to guess this was where they were going, with the skull-and-crossbones motif and the warning on either door: These Plants Can Kill. For all that the Alnwick Gardens tried to suggest a old, pastoral feel, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment watched over the poison garden; where people were free to wander about and examine the plants elsewhere, entrance here was strictly monitored and guarded. Inside the walls, many of the plants were kept behind bars, out of reach of onlookers, and yet more warning signs abounded. The Poison Gardens were beautiful, a profusion of color, and that much more dangerous for it.
"Because this is only a simulation, we do not need to worry about guards or guides for our trip," Karla said. "But were this real, we would never be alone. There are over a hundred different kinds of poisonous and toxic plants in this garden, including several species of narcotics which require special dispensation from the British government to grow. Every plant in this garden can kill you, most in horrible and excruciating ways, and the staff don't want to worry about someone being stupid enough to pick a flower as a souvenir and end up dead." She held up a basket full of gardening gloves and sheers. "Here, you can feel free to cut samples to get a better look, but I'm insisting on using gloves anyway. This being a simulation doesn't excuse carelessness. You'll notice how the sign says not to smell the plants? They're not kidding. Every year, a decent percentage of tourists end up passing out because they've inhaled too many toxic fumes while exploring the garden. Should you find yourself growing lightheaded or developing a headache, step back from whatever plant you're examining, come back to the gate or head to the vine tunnel at the exit, and breathe cleaner air." Safety protocols would prevent anyone from passing out (or suffering from worse side effects if they touched or ingested any of the plants), but that didn't mean that the experience would be pleasant.
"Take this class to explore the gardens and the poisons in it. Feel free to take notes if you'd like. You'll need them for next class, when we get a little more...hands on."
Stepping through the doors to the Danger Shop would usher the students into beautifully designed and sculpted grounds. Off in the distance was a castle, likely familiar to any fans of the Barry Plodder movie franchise. Several hundred feet to their left was a giant treehouse, built into a stand of sweet-smelling lime trees. And directly in front of them stood a walled garden, a pair of forbidding gates barring their entrance. Even without the handy "The Poison Garden" sign above them, it would be easy to guess this was where they were going, with the skull-and-crossbones motif and the warning on either door: These Plants Can Kill. For all that the Alnwick Gardens tried to suggest a old, pastoral feel, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment watched over the poison garden; where people were free to wander about and examine the plants elsewhere, entrance here was strictly monitored and guarded. Inside the walls, many of the plants were kept behind bars, out of reach of onlookers, and yet more warning signs abounded. The Poison Gardens were beautiful, a profusion of color, and that much more dangerous for it.
"Because this is only a simulation, we do not need to worry about guards or guides for our trip," Karla said. "But were this real, we would never be alone. There are over a hundred different kinds of poisonous and toxic plants in this garden, including several species of narcotics which require special dispensation from the British government to grow. Every plant in this garden can kill you, most in horrible and excruciating ways, and the staff don't want to worry about someone being stupid enough to pick a flower as a souvenir and end up dead." She held up a basket full of gardening gloves and sheers. "Here, you can feel free to cut samples to get a better look, but I'm insisting on using gloves anyway. This being a simulation doesn't excuse carelessness. You'll notice how the sign says not to smell the plants? They're not kidding. Every year, a decent percentage of tourists end up passing out because they've inhaled too many toxic fumes while exploring the garden. Should you find yourself growing lightheaded or developing a headache, step back from whatever plant you're examining, come back to the gate or head to the vine tunnel at the exit, and breathe cleaner air." Safety protocols would prevent anyone from passing out (or suffering from worse side effects if they touched or ingested any of the plants), but that didn't mean that the experience would be pleasant.
"Take this class to explore the gardens and the poisons in it. Feel free to take notes if you'd like. You'll need them for next class, when we get a little more...hands on."
Castor Oil Plant
Ricin, one of the most toxic substances that occur naturally, is a simple protein found in the seeds of the castor oil plant and, in lesser quantities, throughout the rest of the plant. A single seed contains enough ricin to kill a child; four to ten seeds are all that is needed to kill an adult. The seeds need to be well-chewed to allow the release of the ricin, however; the hard seed coat prevents rapid absorption of the ricin if swallowed whole, though there may be some irritation. Allergenic compounds found on the plant surface can cause permanent nerve damage, making the harvest of castor beans a human health risk.
Death can take anywhere from several hours up to twelve days, with the first symptoms appearing anywhere from two hours to two days.
Effects and Symptoms: Burning in mouth, nausea, vomiting, cramps, drowsiness, cyanosis, stupor, circulatory collapse, blood in urine, convulsions, coma, death, hemolysis (breaking up) of red blood cells, hemorrhaging, blood found in vomit and stools.
On the medical side, castor oil comes from those same seeds that have been boiled to break down the ricin protein. Castor oil has many industrial uses, and has been used as a laxative since Ancient Egypt. A daily spoonful of the oil was given to children as a prevention against constipation with no ill effects, save its unpleasant taste.