Is Death Growing in Your Garden? Information for Writers with Teresa Watson

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The hazard symbol for toxic/highly toxic substances.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This site is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes: this is for informational purposes only to be used for your fictional stories. The information is just a tiny bit about poisonous plants that is available. There is so much more that you can learn with a simple search. But this needs to be taken seriously, especially to protect your children and pets. These plants, while beautiful, are DEADLY, particularly to children and pets. Just licking some of these poisonous things can quickly CAUSE DEATH. Always check the toxicity of a plant before you add it to your
garden or home.

The following article was written by Teresa Watson.

Growing Death in Your Garden 

We all know the familiar nursery rhyme:

Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

      But do you know just how deadly little Mary’s garden really is? Cyanide was a particular favorite of Dame Agatha Christie. In her mystery And Then There Were None, the first death was from cyanide poisoning. And who can forget those lovely aunts from Arsenic and Old Lace, who used arsenic, cyanide and strychnine in the elderberry wine to kill their gentlemen callers? (I highly recommend you watch the movie with Cary Grant and Josephine Hull; it’s one of my favorite movies!) In the 1962 movie Dr. No, the cab driver, after a fight with James Bond, kills himself with cyanide in a cigarette rather than tell Bond who he worked for. But not all victims who use cyanide die. Such is the case with Raoul Silva from the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall. Silva’s suicide attempt by hydrogen cyanide failed, and it burned his body internally, forcing him to wear a prosthetic face to hide the disfiguring injuries.

It was suggested to me that I use poison to kill off a character in my next novella, and I was shocked to discover just how toxic the plants are in flower and vegetable gardens. Take a look for yourself; I guarantee you will be totally surprised. I’m going to mention just a few in this article. I’ll talk about which parts of the plant are toxic, how toxic they are and the symptoms. At the end, you’ll find general treatment for these types of poison. 

Water Hemlock/Spotted Parsley

English: Cowbane or Northern Water Hemlock (Cicuta virosa) a. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let’s start with what the USDA rates as “the most violently toxic plant that grows in North America”:

Water Hemlock/Spotted Parsley (Latin name: cicuta maculata). It doesn’t look deadly, with its tiny white flowers and umbrella-like appearance. You’ll find it growing near the edges of your property in pastures

and meadows.


Toxic parts of the plant:

 The whole plant - especially the roots of early growth. 

How toxic: 

Deadly to take by mouth or to apply to the skin. Death occurs within a matter of minutes, depending on the dosage.


Symptoms: 

* The first symptoms include drooling, nausea, vomiting,

   wheezing, sweating, dizziness, stomach pain, lethargy, and

   delirium. 

* More serious symptoms include trouble breathing, convulsions,

   heart problems, kidney failure, coma, and death.


Foxglove (Latin name: Digitalis purpurea)

English: Foxglove Foxglove in hedgerow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m sure you all recognize the word digitalis. Doctors use digitalis to strengthen the heart and regulate the heartbeat. The most commonly prescribed drugs are digitoxin and digoxin, and patients using these medications are carefully monitored by their doctors to make sure they suffer no ill effects. In your garden, they are tall, thin plants, with white, pink and purple bell-shaped flowers.


Toxic parts of the plant: the entire plant, especially the leaves of the upper stem.


How toxic: 

As mentioned above, it is used for medical purposes. But, if you need a quick, effective way to kill off a character, a high dose of foxglove will effective dispose of them.


Symptoms: 

Blurred vision, confusion, depression, disorientation or hallucinations, fainting, headache, irregular or slow heartbeat, lethargy, loss of appetite, low blood pressure, rash or hives, stomach pain, vomiting, nausea or diarrhea, weakness or drowsiness.

 (***Children have been known to die by sucking on part of the plant.)





Hydrangea (Latin name: hydrangea macrophylla)

Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf Hydrangea, Hortensia) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My mother grows these in her garden in the front yard, and I think they are beautiful. They grow so big, and the flowers in colors of pink, blue or white are simply gorgeous (hers are blue). So I was shocked to discover that they are poisonous!


Toxic parts: 

The entire plant, especially the flower buds.


How toxic: 

Think cyanide.


Symptoms: 

* Itchy skin, vomiting,

   weakness, sweating. 

* More serious symptoms

   include shortness of breath,

   dizziness, fainting, rapid pulse,

   a drop in blood pressure that

   can cause convulsions and death.


Mistletoe (Latin name: Phoradendron flavescens)

Mistletoe berries in Wye Valley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We all know what mistletoe looks like: a cluster of green leaves with white berries. A popular holiday decoration, all couples in love want to get caught standing under it for the kiss. But beware, looks can be deceiving, and enough mistletoe could give you the kiss of death.


Toxic parts: 

All of it, especially the berries.


How toxic: 

It depends on the dosage. Drinking anything containing mistletoe, or munching on the leaves, berries or shoots will, at the very least, cause abdominal pain and diarrhea (I’ve never tried mistletoe tea, but apparently people do drink it.)


Symptoms: 

Stomach irritation, intestinal irritation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, reduced blood pressure, slowed pulse, nausea, vomiting, slowed heart rate, cardiovascular collapse, and seizures. 

(***This is VERY potent for pets, so keep this away from them!)


Lily of the Valley (Latin name: Convellaria majalis)

Convallaria majalis cv. Plena (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How could something with a name that sounds like it should be in a song be so deadly? They are very sweet smelling, and look like tiny white bells.


Toxic parts: 

The entire plant, especially the leaves.


How toxic: 

Even the water you put the flowers in will contain

deadly traces of toxins. 

One bite will give you a

headache, hot flashes, hallucinations and irritability (sounds like menopause!). Enough of the toxins will slow your heart rate down, potentially leading to coma and even death.


Symptoms: 

Besides the ones mentioned above, symptoms could include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, and reduced blood pressure.


Nightshade (Latin name: Atropa belladonna)

Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, commonly known as Belladonna, Devil's Berries, Death Cherries or Deadly Nightshade (Solanaceae), Flower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 I've personally never seen

 a nightshade plant, but I

 have heard of belladonna. Mostly found overseas, it can now be found in North America, especially in areas rich with limestone. The berries are various colors of red, orange and green, and when they bloom, the flowers are purple with green pollen bulbs.


Toxic parts: 

The whole plant, especially the berries, roots and leaves.


How toxic: 

A single leaf can be fatal to an adult. You probably won’t even have time to call for help.


Symptoms: 

Unable to speak, respiratory problems, intense digestive distress, and violent convulsions. 

Antidote/Treatment:

* CALL 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. 

* Try to find out how much poison the victim ingested and their

    weight. 

* DO NOT make the victim vomit unless instructed to by

   emergency personnel.


An antidote depends on the type of poisoning, and with all the medical advances that are happening every day, an antidote could have been discovered as I write this. General treatment is aggressive supportive care by paramedics in the field, and then by hospital personnel. Depending on the severity of the poisoning, treatment could include:

* Activated charcoal

* Gastric lavage
* Blood and urine tests
* Breathing support
* EKG
* Fluids
* Medication to treat specific symptoms.


Quick treatment improves your characters chances. But even then, the symptoms could last 2-3 days. The important thing is to get treatment for your victim as quickly as possible. But since this is for fictional writing, it might be better to let them die…

Fiona - 

That was very interesting, Teresa. You put your research to work for you in your new Novella, can you tell us about your story?

Teresa - 

It's time for the county fair, and things are heating up for the coveted "best pie" blue ribbon. But two competitors, Gladys Norwell, and Durlene Snodgrass, are disqualified the day before the fair. 

During the pie eating contest, Gladys' husband, Harold, falls face first into his blueberry pie, and Gladys is the prime suspect. Did our beloved Gossip Queen kill her husband, or is someone setting her up? It's up to Lizzie, her beloved dogs Babe and Mittens, and the rest of the gang to

sniff out the truth before the Queen

is dethroned...permanently.

Fiona - 

Very fun! You know here on ThrillWriting we always like to ask about the story behind your favorite scar. Would you share yours?

Teresa -

Known to my friends as Queen Klutz, my scars (and casts) are many, but the favorite scar story belongs to my son. 

When he was 18 months old, he wanted juice one night before bedtime. I told him no, and went upstairs to get his pajamas. Alas, my son has his mother’s stubborn streak. The one time I had to buy a glass jar of juice was the time he decided to pick it up. I heard a crash, and came racing down the stairs. There was a trail of blood from the kitchen, across the living room, ending at my recliner, where my son sat on the floor. A bloody handprint was on the seat of the recliner. I grabbed the phone and a beach towel, wrapping it around his right hand as I called my parents. After I hung up, I looked at his feet, and noticed a pool of blood under his left foot. Another beach towel went around his foot. 

Picking him up, I went outside, holding him in my arms while I waited for my parents to show up. When they did, my mother got out with tea towels and a box of Band-aids because she thought I was overreacting. When she saw me standing there with him in my arms, she immediately opened the back passenger door so I could get in. Three hours later, seven stitches in his hand, and five behind the toes of his foot, we were back home. The middle finger of his right hand is slightly bent because of scar tissue, and is a reminder of that night.

Fiona- 

Before we end, could you tell us a little about you?

Teresa -  

Teresa Watson

I’m the daughter of a retired Methodist minister, so I moved a lot when I was a kid. Familiarity with small towns and the people in them have helped me with writing my stories. There are plenty of characters to draw from for inspiration! I’m a wife of a wonderful man, a mother to a hard-working, sweet, kind and caring 20-year-old son, a granddaughter to an awesome 95-year-old woman who is the basis for a character in my new series, a daughter to two wonderful people who have been so supportive, a sister to a few, and a friend to many.

Fiona - 

Thank you so much, Teresa.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Forensic Toxicology - Drugs and Poisons 101: Information for Writers

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Excerpt WEAKEST LYNX

       I undressed in the bathroom. When I lifted the hamper lid, my peripheral vision caught a dark face reflected in the mirror. I gasped, my brain processing like a camera with an open shutter. Click. Tribal tattoos. Click. Gas mask. Click. Sink on right. Click. White cloth. Click. Sweet odor. Click. No alarm. Click. No help.

       While my mind snapped perceptions, my body acted from training. I lowered my hips to drop my weight for better balance and leverage. My left leg swung behind his. I bent my knee in a swift, sharp move as I reached over my head, grasping his shirt to put him on the floor.

        But the initial fumes I had sucked in made the room watery and undulating, melting my muscles and my instincts into useless puddles. My arms dropped ineffectually to my sides. One of his hands trapped me against him as I dangled, unable to hold my weight up with my legs, while his other hand smashed the cloth tightly over my nose. 

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Forensic Toxicologists study how animals are affected by drugs and poisons. They work for various independent companies as well as agencies.

Inside a forensic department there are typically two chemistry labs housed in different locations because of the potential for cross-contamination. There are:
1 Contraband Substances Labs
* Identifies substances in seized form
* Typically measured in gram and kilograms
2 Toxicology Lab
* Identifies substances that are found in urine, blood, and tissues
* Typically measured in micro-gram and nano-grams
What is a Forensic Toxicologist (1:50)

Some Useful Vocabulary:
A drug - single chemical or compound chemical that has psychological and or physical reactions on the

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   body.
* Prescription
* Over the counter
* Recreational
   legal - such as alcohol
   illegal - such as heroine
* Natural - such as caffeine

A poison has life threatening 
                effects.
Toxicology - The study of how humans and animals are
                affected by poisons or drugs
Forensic Toxicology - how the affect of drugs and
                 poisons have legal ramifications
Synergism - Forensic Toxicologist must be mindful
                  of Synergism - When two or more drugs or
                  substances work together to increase the effect such as
                  alcohol and barbiturates. Jimmy Hendricks, Janice
                  Joplin are two examples.
Pharmacologyy - the science of understanding the way drugs act
                  and the affects they have on a body
Pharmoketetics study of how drugs move - including how they get
                  into and out of the body
Absorption - how a drug gets into a body 
                        VIDEO QUICK STUDY Absorption and Dose (7:49)

 1. The drug can be inserted intravenously - shot directly into a
      vein/ the blood system. They can also be shot into a muscle 
      where they will enter the blood in a gradual manner.
 2. Orally - entering the body through the digestive tract
 3. Rectal insertion - crossing the mucus lining into the gastro-
     intenstinal tract
 4. Inhaled - such as for asthmatics or with a nebulizer or gas like
     carbon monoxide poisoning.
 5. Deramal - lotions and other products that are applied to the skin,
     but will not typically show up in significant quantities in the
     blood stream.
 6. Ocular

Distribution - almost always the product is distributed to the rest
     of the body through the blood/circulatory system. These do not
     circulate in an even way.
 1. The heart and liver - often have a higher concentration
 2. The brain - many drugs cannot get into the brain because blood
     networks in the brain are less permeable than other parts of the 
     body.
 3. Some products simply build up in the system. Pesticides, for
     example, build up in fatty tissues (adipose) over time. 
     Example of this is mercury in fish.

Metabolism - (broken down into metabolites) usually happens in
      the liver.
 1. Drug is deactivated with time.
 2. Body eliminates the drug
 3. Converts it into a substance that can be used for energy

Elimination - 
  1. Most is removed through urine (that's why urine testing is so 
      important)
  2. Feces
  3. Sweat
  4. Lactation
  5. Hair follicles. 
      VIDEO QUICK STUDY of hair toxicology (1:10)
  6. Exhalent VIDEO QUICK STUDY - A breathalyzer to analyze
       alcohol consumption (:50)

Poisonings can occur by:

Accident

•   Child poisoning
•   Storing improperly, putting a poison in an incorrect 
•   Container/mislabeling
•   Taking the wrong medication
•   Taking one's medication multiple times during the day (do     to dementia, etc.)

  Adverse drug interactions

•  An individual might have specific issues such as organ    damage that is exacerbated over time by taking certain     medications.
•  Environmental causes such as radon or industrial chemicals
•  Animals such as spiders or snakes
•  Plants

  Overdose on recreational drugs VIDEO QUICK STUDY of street drugs and their forensic effects (9:52)

Suicide only fatal about 2% of the time but often results in organ 
             damage.
Homicide 

An arrangement of psychoactive drugs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a living person signs of poisoning might include:

• nausea and vomiting
• respiratory distress
• change in skin coloration
• seizures
• blurred vision
• slurred speech
• mental confusion
• swelling
• Loss of consciousness

The severity of the reaction depends on many factors including:

•  Size of the victim
•  Health of the victim
•  Amount of substance
•  Duration of exposure

When deciding if this was a suicide or homicide investigators may utilize a forensic psychologist or death investigator to interview family, friends, and coworkers to put together a picture of their health  history, their state of mental health, and their history of drug use both legal and illegal.

Tests can be performed on the living or the dead.
Subjects who are living might be tested for some of these reasons:

•  Pre-employment drug tests
•  Randomized drug testing for public safety
•  Athletes
•  Crime scene - was a suspect under the influence?
•  Victim of a crime - for example was a date rape drug used?

   Blog - How to Drug Your Victim - the Four Main Date Rape Drugs

Post-mortem Forensic Drug Tests are done by Forensic Toxicologist and/or Forensic Pathologist - medical doctors specializing in disease and chemistry.

In trying to determine the poison/toxin there are three main steps:

Sample - Postmortem Sampling List will probably look at:

•       blood
•       urine
•       stomach contents
•       bile and liver (site of metabolism for many drugs)
•       brain tissue/spinal fluid
•       vitreous fluid (from the eye) Even in a body that has                  already started to breakdown, this is often a place where             toxicologists can gather information because the eye is               more resistant than other tissues to decomposition.

(Photo credit: Jack Spades)

•       fatty deposits
•       hair - this is the longest lasting           source of a decomposed body.

Screen -
      * indicates a drug might be present
      * some drugs mimic naturally 
         occurring substance
      * Gas Chromotography VIDEO QUICK STUDY (1:12)
      * Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Testing
         VIDEO QUICK STUDY (2:06)
Extract -
     * concentrates the drug so it's easier to detect
     * removes other substances that might contaminate the results
     * Mass Spectometry VIDEO QUICK STUDY (7:59)
       qualitative and quantitative information is gathered

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will do my best to help.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.