Aconitine

/ækˈɒnɪtiːn/ noun

Definition

A highly toxic alkaloid found in aconite plants that causes burning sensations, numbness, paralysis, and heart failure even in tiny amounts.

Etymology

From aconite with the standardized chemical suffix -ine for alkaloid compounds, following modern chemical nomenclature conventions. First isolated in the early 1800s.

Kelly Says

Aconitine is so deadly that just 2-6 milligrams can kill an adult, and it's been called 'the queen of poisons'—some Japanese assassins preferred it to arsenic because it was harder to detect before modern toxicology existed.

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