# I've been giving my father rat poison **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846 "2005-03-10T15:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/1 "2005-03-10T15:33:34Z")
Well, actually the script was for [Coumadin](http://www.coumadin.com/). However it was filled with the generic: [Warfarin](http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic872.htm). Here’s proof that a little is good, and a lot will kill you. Can anyone else think of compounds that have both a toxic and beneficial use? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/2 "2005-03-10T15:53:41Z")
It would be harder to think of compounds that \* don’t \* have a toxic and beneficial use. ``` Just off the top of my head, you've got digitalis, botox, and curare, all pretty much deadly poisons with medicinal uses. Arsenic is used in chemo therapy. And so on. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/3 "2005-03-10T16:17:34Z")
And of course allmost everything is toxic in high enough doses. For instance water, salt, sugar,… ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/4 "2005-03-10T16:58:44Z")
That’s the whole idea behind vaccines. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/5 "2005-03-10T18:51:31Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > That’s the whole idea behind vaccines. Uh, actually that has nothing to do with the idea behind vaccines… All the fat soluble vitamins, such as A and E are needed for life in small quantities but toxic in large quantities. Selenium is kind of interesting - it’s essential for enzyme function in small quantities. In large amounts it’s toxic. But at an amount that is larger than needed for essential body functions but not large enough to be out and out toxic, it prevents prostate cancer. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/6 "2005-03-11T01:47:10Z")
Morphine. Heck, if you count “feeling good” as a beneficial use then Heroin and pretty much every other drug has beneficial and harmful uses. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/7 "2005-03-11T04:18:18Z")
Nitroglycerin. Man, I think that’s my favorite drug ever. I always wanted to take a bunch of grampa’s little tablets and see what would happen if I whacked 'em with a hammer. I know, I know - nothing but white powder. Leave me alone. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/8 "2005-03-11T07:00:44Z")
I realize, now, I’d expressed myself poorly. I hadn’t meant to ask for medications that are toxic if taken in larger than prescribed doses. As **Finagle** and **Bippy the Beardless** pointed out, there are very few things that won’t be toxic in high enough doses. What I’d meant is things that are, or have been, actively used for a medicinal as well as toxic or purpose. So, the Arsenic that is used in chemo seems pretty close. (I’m not sure it’s quite the same thing - chemo is a medical treatment meant to make the overall health of the patient improve. By poisoning the cancer, true, but still medicinal in ultimate goal.) And **chique** ’s nitroglycerine is another close one, since nitro has been used in warfare and murder for ages, now. But Selenium, the fat soluble vitamins, and such, while admittedly toxic in large doses, aren’t _used_ for that toxicity. Thanks for your thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/9 "2005-03-12T19:28:46Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > But Selenium, the fat soluble vitamins, and such, while admittedly toxic in large doses, aren’t _used_ for that toxicity. Unless you wanted to get rid of a hated enemy by convincing them to try the rare delicacy of polar bear liver (which will probably kill them via A hypervitaminosis). ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/10 "2005-03-12T21:15:11Z")
Small amounts of sodium fluoride are in a lot of toothpaste; larger amounts are used in rat poison and insecticide. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/11 "2005-03-12T21:23:28Z")
Yeah, but isn’t badly prepared fugu easier to get your hands on? (There’s just something about hunting critters that are quite willing to eat me if I don’t succeed in the hunt that’s a little off-putting.) ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/12 "2005-03-12T21:38:35Z")
Snake venom. The usual squirt from Slither McScalehead will cause you a world of hurt, but small amounts can help with blood pressure by contracting blood vessels. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/13 "2005-03-12T21:42:16Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > Snake venom. The usual squirt from Slither McScalehead will cause you a world of hurt, but small amounts can help with blood pressure by contracting blood vessels. Depends on the snake. Some have only one or two toxic agents. Some of the more deadly venoms have up to (IIRC) _twenty-five_ different toxins working together to turn bite victim into meat. And more than one of the multiple attack method venoms have been used to develope several medicines, too. Cool, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/14 "2005-03-12T21:43:22Z")
Wasn’t strychnine used as a heart medication at one point? I’ll go looking for a cite if no one can confirm. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/15 "2005-03-12T21:48:01Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Wasn’t strychnine used as a heart medication at one point? I’ll go looking for a cite if no one can confirm. According to the Merck Manual online it was mentioned in the original edition as a medication. It doesn’t say in an easily found article, what the strychnine was supposed to be used _for_, but that’s one scary medication anyways. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/16 "2005-03-12T22:27:41Z")
I used to package drugs for hospital pharmacies. Warfarin is one of those drugs that you absolutely MUST make sure you have the correct dosage for. There was a case at one of my sites (long before I started working there) where a prescription was read incorrectly - the patient received 10mg when 1 mg was prescribed. He died. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/17 "2005-03-12T23:05:32Z")
Botox? I’m on Coumadin, myself. I always call it “rat poison”. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/18 "2005-03-13T00:05:50Z")
But, they used Selenium to kill the aliens in _Evolution_. what? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/19 "2005-03-13T01:37:28Z")
Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) has long been used as a very effective way of getting rid of ones enemies. It is also used as an anisthetic; it was one of the active ingredients in the teething tablets we gave my son when he was, um, teething. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-giving-my-father-rat-poison/293846/20 "2005-03-13T02:39:12Z")
Put a magnet in your wheaties. You will find little specks of black stuff sticking to the magnet. It is iron. The exact same stuff as in buildings, just chopped up real small. Freaky.