Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 247

LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog LITFL • Life in the Fast Lane Medical Blog - Emergency medicine and critical care medical education blog Just when you thought your brain could unwind on a Friday, you realise that it would rather be challenged with some good old fashioned medical trivia FFFF…introducing Funtabulously Frivolous Friday Five 247 (with a little art contribution from Dr Michelle Johnston) Readers can subscribe to FFFF RSS or subscribe to the FFFF weekly EMAIL Question 1 What is the poison that Socrates is about to voluntarily consume? http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436105 + Reveal the funtabulous answer expand(document.getElementById('ddet1594270950'));expand(document.getElementById('ddetlink1594270950')) Crushed Hemlock The hemlock that Socrates was purported to having drunk likely came from the alkaloid Conium Maculatim, which is a progressive neuromuscular toxin, in a curare like fashion. This is consistent with Plato’s description (he’s the chap seated at the foot of the bed, parchment in hand, in Jacques Louis David’s famous painting of 1786). According to Plato, Socrates’ legs “began to feel heavy, whereby he lay down on his back and the sensation left his feet and his legs: as the poison moved upwards and reached his chest, he lost consciousness and his breathing slowed until he was dead”. ‘Twas a common executioner’s tool of the day. It is interesting the discrepancy ...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Frivolous Friday Five Aorta brown sequard epilepsy hemlock Jacques Louis David Joseph Lawrence joseph lister Listerine Marat Socrates stabbing Source Type: blogs