101 Ways to Poison Your Enemies

Ever wish you could kill someone? I think we all have but few of us act on the desire.

Now, put yourself in the 19th century. If you wanted to kill someone then, you could of course use a knife, hachet, shotgun, or rope, among other violent ways. But all of these methods would tell murder and could spell disaster for you. Poisons, on the other hand, could be concealed. Sadly, no ready-made cartons of ant poison could be found on Walmart shelves then nor would you find a convenient supply of sleeping medication at your local pharmacy. You could, though, find plenty of plants to do the job.

What are they, you ask? Lots.

DISCLAIMER: This information is intended for writers and other curious folks. No endorsement nor encouragement to actually poison anyone is intended nor advised.

I spoke to the "poison lady," Luci Zahray, who clued me in (sorry, pun intended) on the many plants that could put an end to your problems with a troublesome enemy, friend, or relative.

Here's a partial list:

Lily of the Valley–this inocuous, spring-smelling flower is deceptive. Just soak the leaves in water for awhile, serve the water to an unsuspecting guest and voila, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and hallucinations immediately start the inevitable death from heart failure.

Oleander–An ornamental shrub and house plant hides powerful cardiac glycosides that cause death much like an overdose of digitalis does, that is, promptly

Privet–yes, the hedge. The entire plant is poisonous but the berries contain the highest concentration of ligustrin, a fast-acting poison. If you've ever developed a skin rash after trimming this hedge, you experienced mild privet poisoning.

Pokeweed–a funny-sounding shrub that can cause severe stomach cramps ensue after eating only a few of its berries and lead to a violent death.

Thornapple–also known as jimson weed that can cause delirium, incoherence, coma, and death.

Deadly Nightshade–also known as belladonna. Dried leaves steeped in tea can paralyze a subject albeit death comes slowly.

So I lied about 101 ways. There are many more poisonous plants plus minerals, such as arsenic, that can kill. Nineteenth century poisoners were constrained by the availability of plants accessible to them, but I have no doubt that many a death went unrecorded as a homicide in those bygone days. I'll be back in a month with more choices for you.

For any would-be poisoners, please be informed that today chemical analysis can uncover almost any deathly substance. In addition, any suspicious death is bound to be investigated. So, I'll leave you with this thought: only poison your enemies in fiction. That's what I do.