injuries and poisoning
Toxins as Weapons
Ricin and Abrin
Ricin comes from beans of the castor plant, and abrin comes from jequirity, or rosary pea (see Castor and jequirity beans ). Although ricin has been injected in assassination attempts, mass casualties would probably involve inhalation of an aerosol form of the toxin. Symptoms of ricin and abrin poisoning vary by route of exposure. Within 4 to 8 hours of inhalation exposure, people develop cough, respiratory distress, and fever. Many organs are progressively affected over the next 12 to 24 hours, culminating in respiratory failure and often death. Diagnosis is made based on the person's symptoms. No specific antidote or antitoxin is available, and treatment focuses on supporting the person's breathing. 