DAY 30 "Your Last Breath"

Part of being out on the trails is having an understanding of your surroundings. The plants, animals and terrain. This one is no exception (Castor Bean), as it contains one of the most toxic compounds known (Ricin -toxalbumin -plant lectin). It's the same plant that produces castrol oil, but what is left in the seed after it has been pressed, is the ricin...and in large quantities. Three seeds would be enough to kill an adult, which contains only 0.5 mg of ricin!!! The scary fact here, is once this has been injected (by way of food or drink) into the system, there is no cure for the onset of the poison. It takes about three days of a slow and painful death...your last breath! From one of my books on this plant "There is no antidote for ricin poisoning. The only remedy is to give supportive medical care to minimize symptoms, and hope for the best." The ARC (Agriculture Research Center) has labeled it the deadliest plant known today.

Even handling the leaves can cause skin irritation, since this also contains small quantities of the ricin (I was very careful in collecting my samples and probably washed my hands 3 or 4 times after cracking the seeds). The location of the plant was on the coast, but can be found upwards to the 3000 ft level.

I have a huge fascination with something that can be naturally provided by way of nature and have the affects that it does. I'll be tracking down medicinal and also poisonous plants over the next few weeks.

**Another small factoid**

Ricin is considered both a chemical and biological weapon and is explicitly prohibited by the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). ...Deadly huh? :)