Conhydrin

/kɒnˈhaɪdrɪn/ noun

Definition

A toxic alkaloid compound found in poison hemlock and related plants of the Apiaceae family.

Etymology

From con- (a prefix sometimes used in chemistry) + hydrin (relating to water or hydrogen compounds), coining a term for this specific chemical compound found in hemlock.

Kelly Says

Conhydrin is the molecular reason why Socrates' execution by hemlock poison was so effective—this alkaloid shuts down nerve signals, causing paralysis that creeps upward through the body, a gruesome detail verified by modern toxicology.

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