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Chapter-35 Cardiac Poisons

BOOK TITLE: Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

Author
1. Rao Nageshkumar G
ISBN
9788184487060
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/11366_35
Edition
2/e
Publishing Year
2010
Pages
6
Author Affiliations
1. SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Sattur, Dharwad 580 009, Karnataka, India, Manipal
Chapter keywords

Abstract

Cardiac poisons act mainly on the heart, either directly or through the nerves. Though there may be several cardiac poisonous plants, three are important and they are: (i) oleanders (nerium and cerbera) (ii) aconite, and (iii) nicotine. Oleanders are widely cultivated in the gardens in India for their ornamental flowers. Oleanders are of three types: (a) Nerium odourum: Nerium odourum is plant with white/pink fragrant flowers, which are 2-5 cm in width and have five petals or in double blooms with many petals. (b) Cerbera thevetia: Cerbera thevetia is a plant with yellow, bell-shaped flowers, which are 5-7 cm long and 5 cm wide, the five lobes are spirally twisted and spreading. (c) Cerbera odollum: Cerbera odollum is a small plant or a shrub. Leaves are dark green, fleshy and lanceolate, 20–30 cm long and 4–6 cm broad. The flowers are white, like those of jasmines. Himalayan ranges also grown in the garden for its showy flowers ‘aconitum plant’. This has several species, common ones being: (a) Nepellus (European species) and (b) Ferox, A. chasmanthum, A. balfouri (all Indian species), etc. Dried leaves and stems of Nictiana species. These include N. tobacum (cultivated tobacco), N. attenuate (wild tobacco), N. glauca (tree tobacco), and N. trigonophylla (dessert tobacco). Lobeline is the chief constituent of Indian tobacco, obtained from the leaves and tops of Lobelia inflatea, is an alkaloid similar to nicotine, but less potent than nicotine, and is used in antismoking tablets and lozenge.

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