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| Badly Canned Green Beans Can Cause Botulism |
It's that ability to paralyze that has led to its current popularity as a deterrent to wrinkling in aging skin. But it must be administered by a professional, or the protein can go into the bloodstream and cause death.
When I was a kid growing up in rural Maine, botulism caused by tainted canned goods was a real threat. The bacterium grows in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) low-acid environment.
Everybody in our town had a garden and most of our moms "put up" the summer's bounty by "canning" it in Mason jars which were kept in the cellar during the long Maine winters. (Often along with big coffin-sized freezers full of venison provided during hunting season. But no, my patrician Latin-professor father did not hunt.)
My mom did a lot of canning, but she never canned green
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| Botulinum Toxin |
I remember hearing a story about a whole family that was wiped out after eating three-bean salad at a family reunion picnic. Probably an urban (or in this case rural) myth, but it stayed with me.
To this day I can't stand canned green beans. And I have no desire to have the lethal toxin injected into my face to erase my wrinkles.
Hey, I've worked hard for these wrinkles. I display them proudly.
But green beans are not the only source of the toxin. It occurs naturally in soil and can grow almost anywhere it's in an oxygen-deprived environment.
It was first isolated in pork products in the early 19th century and its name comes from the Latin word for sausage, botulus.
It can kill whether it's ingested, injected, or inhaled. Drug addicts sometimes unknowingly inject themselves with it in tainted needles and it can be hard to diagnose.
The symptoms are double vision, slurred speech, muscle weakness, and droopy eyelids, followed by vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Sometimes the symptoms can be mistaken for intoxication.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the fatality rate from botulism was 60% or more, but it has been reduced to 15% because of modern treatments. But patients need to be diagnosed soon after poisoning and they can take several weeks to recover.
Just today, I read of a case of botulism poisoning in a federal prison in Mississippi. 20 inmates have been hospitalized after drinking homemade moonshine. They are expected to live because of getting immediate treatment, but they are seriously ill.
In the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes series episode The Great Game, botulism features heavily.
(The series combines a number of Conan Doyle's original plots in each episode.) In The Great Game, a schoolboy is poisoned with botulinum in his eczema cream, and a housekeeper is murdered by her brother's lover, who increases the woman's Botox dose.
Botox would make a handy weapon in contemporary fiction, since it is so popular for cosmetic use. It's also used in treatment of an increasing number of medical issues, including bladder control, muscle spasms, excessive sweating, migraines, and bruxism (teeth clenching.)
Author Garry Rodgers, who's a former coroner, has written about what an awful death botulism causes. Here's his full story of the "Red Pepper Paste Man". It also might make you think twice about buying food from China at the Dollar Store.
Can you think of any other mysteries where botulinum is featured? Are you thinking up any plots where it might be used?
Here are links to the other posts in this series.
"An intriguing and fast paced novel that demands you read on to the next page and beyond. The characters are well constructed and believable and I enjoyed the difference between the USA and UK people. The plight of our heroine is complex and well -managed and in the beginning I was striving for her to find some genuine help and support. The flip over to the UK added more spice! Highly recommended."—David L. Atkinson, author of The 51st State.
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| Does 3-Bean Salad Kill? |
The symptoms are double vision, slurred speech, muscle weakness, and droopy eyelids, followed by vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Sometimes the symptoms can be mistaken for intoxication.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the fatality rate from botulism was 60% or more, but it has been reduced to 15% because of modern treatments. But patients need to be diagnosed soon after poisoning and they can take several weeks to recover.
Just today, I read of a case of botulism poisoning in a federal prison in Mississippi. 20 inmates have been hospitalized after drinking homemade moonshine. They are expected to live because of getting immediate treatment, but they are seriously ill.
In the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes series episode The Great Game, botulism features heavily.
Botox would make a handy weapon in contemporary fiction, since it is so popular for cosmetic use. It's also used in treatment of an increasing number of medical issues, including bladder control, muscle spasms, excessive sweating, migraines, and bruxism (teeth clenching.)
Author Garry Rodgers, who's a former coroner, has written about what an awful death botulism causes. Here's his full story of the "Red Pepper Paste Man". It also might make you think twice about buying food from China at the Dollar Store.
Can you think of any other mysteries where botulinum is featured? Are you thinking up any plots where it might be used?
Here are links to the other posts in this series.
SHERWOOD, LTD: Camilla Mystery #2
Suddenly-homeless American manners expert Camilla Randall becomes a 21st century Maid Marian—living rough near the real Sherwood Forest with a band of outlaw English erotica publishers—led by a charming, self-styled Robin Hood who unfortunately may intend to kill her.
When Camilla is invited to publish a book of her columns withUK publisher Peter Sherwood, she lands in a gritty criminal world—far from the Merrie Olde England she envisions.
The staff are ex-cons and the erotica is kinky. Hungry and penniless, she camps in a Wendy House built from pallets of porn while battling an epic flood, a mendacious American Renfaire wench, and the mysterious killer who may be Peter himself.
When Camilla is invited to publish a book of her columns with
The staff are ex-cons and the erotica is kinky. Hungry and penniless, she camps in a Wendy House built from pallets of porn while battling an epic flood, a mendacious American Renfaire wench, and the mysterious killer who may be Peter himself.
Sherwood, Ltd. is only $2.99 in ebook from all the Amazons, iTunes, GooglePlay Scribd, Inktera, Kobo, Nook, and Smashwords.
And it's $11.99 in paper from Amazon and Barnes and Noble
And it's $11.99 in paper from Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Sample Reviews:
"A wily tale of murder, deceit, and intrigue that can stand with the best of them. Her characters are all too real and her dialogue took me from laughter to chills" David Keith on Smashwords
"Smartly written and nearly impossible to put down, I found myself counting the hours until I could leave work and get back to reading! Well done!" T.L. Ingham on Smashwords
"A wily tale of murder, deceit, and intrigue that can stand with the best of them. Her characters are all too real and her dialogue took me from laughter to chills" David Keith on Smashwords
"Smartly written and nearly impossible to put down, I found myself counting the hours until I could leave work and get back to reading! Well done!" T.L. Ingham on Smashwords
"An intriguing and fast paced novel that demands you read on to the next page and beyond. The characters are well constructed and believable and I enjoyed the difference between the USA and UK people. The plight of our heroine is complex and well -managed and in the beginning I was striving for her to find some genuine help and support. The flip over to the UK added more spice! Highly recommended."—David L. Atkinson, author of The 51st State.
I find all your posts about poisons really interesting. Probably because I'm such a fan of Forensic Files and there's so much poisoning going on in those episodes too. And I'm learning so much.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Patricia--I'm glad to hear you're enjoying them. I figured I'd share my research. I've never watched Forensic Files. I should check it out!
DeleteHi Anne. Great post and a great, diabolical poison for fiction writers. Botulism is so common and so deadly - makes me wonder why there aren't more accidental deaths, let alone murders with it.
ReplyDeleteIn my time as a coroner I had one outstanding botulism case that originated in a jar of red pepper paste. I wrote an article about it that I think your readers might find interesting from a forensic point. Not trying to hijack your blog to promote mine but here's the link to "The Excruciating Death of Mister Red Pepper Paste Man" if you'd like to share it. http://bit.ly/1YyQwdG
Garry--Oooooh You were a coroner? What a great background for a writer! I will definitely check out your post and your blog! Thanks for the link!
DeleteNasty stuff indeed, Anne. I remember Garry's post about the red pepper paste. It was equally chilling. Love this series, Poisoning People for Fun! The title cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteSue--I did want to keep this series light, since I write funny mysteries. Not that there's anything light about Garry's chilling story. Never buy Chinese food from the Dollar Store! Or at least if the food is moving around, don't eat it. :-)
Delete