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Abstract
Toxicity ratings were based on known median oral lethal dose (LD50) of each ingredient and determined by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) data and statistics and Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products [4,5]. Overall, poisons for sale included heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, lead), controlled substances (codeine, morphine), pharmaceutical grade toxins (strychnine, pilocarpine), insecticides (nicotine), herbal extracts (henbane, hemlock) and beauty aids (belladonna, scopolamine). Extremely toxic (LD50 of less than 50 mg/kg) Aconite Ammoniated mercury Arsenic trioxide Arsenous Acid Atropine Barium carbonate Barium sulfide Belladonna extract Cadmium nitrate Colchicine root Cyanide Gelsemium (yellow jasmine) Hydrastine hydrochloride Laudanum Lobeline Mercury bichloride Mercurous iodide Monomethylhydrazine Morphine hydrochloride Nicotine sulphate (Tobacco dust) Nitroglycerin Pantopium (opiate) Phosphorus Physostigmine salicylate Pilocarpine Podophyllin Scopolamine Strophanthin Strychnine sulphate Thallium sulphate Theobromine Wine of antimony Zinc phosphide Moderately toxic (LD50 from 50 to 500 mg/kg) Carbolic acid Copper sulfate Croton oil Digitalis Ergot aseptic Homatropine Hyoscyamine Lead arsenate, acetate Merbromin Methylene blue Methyl salicylate (Wintergreen oil) Phenacetin Picric acid Potassium permanganate Silver nitrate Sparteine Sulfate Stramonium (Jimson weed) Theobromine Warfarin Slightly Toxic (LD50 > 500 mg/kg) Adrenalin tablets Agaric acid Ammonium chloride Ammonium oxalate Bryonia Caffeine salicylate Camphor oil Carbolic acid (Phenol) Cascara sagrada Chloroform elixir Cinchophen (atrophan) Coal tar Codeine phosphate Creosote oil Ephedrine tablets Formaldehyde/cresol Guaiacol Hemlock Oil Hyoscyamus (Henbane) Iodine Lead iodide Oxalic acid Potassium bromide Quinidine Squill (Sea onion) Sodium fluoride Strontium iodide Zinc phenolsulfonate Table 1 Toxic substances found on eBay®.