"Prophet" <hitorogoshi@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1168468489.804715.257090@i56g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > Maybe slightly off the topic of chemistry...... > > Hemlock (Conium maculatum) and Belladonna (Atropa Belladonna) are both > traditionally regarded as poisons. There are many instances of this > throughout what is regarded as both history and folklore - Socrates' > execution and his volunatary ingestion of a cup of hemlock juice, or > the traditional use of Deadly Nightshade by witches in their > cococtions are two that would come straight to mind..... > > The active poisonous ingredients in both are the alkaloids coniine and > atropine respectively, though my question is this - does anyone have > information regarding which is the most virulant of the two?? I know > atropine in small doses is supposed to have psychoactive properties, > but same is true for a lot of poisons. > > Is extract of coniine derived from the roots of poison hemlock more > dangerous in terms of its poisonous effect on humans, as opposed to an > extract of > atropine, similarly extracted from Nightshade?? > > Feedback appreciated. > The human LD of atropine is at least 100mg & in children a few milligrams [http://www.emea.eu.int/pdfs/vet/mrls/054098en.pdf], but the LD50 for hemlock is unknown.