Okay, we’re back to poisons this week.
Twice in the past week, castor beans have come up. The first time was during a session at Crime Bake, and the second was while I was reading You Can’t Candle the Truth from Sarah E Burr. So this is going to be part fun fact, part book advertisement. 🙂
The castor bean, ricinus communis, is a tropical plant. People use the plant to make castor oil and the dried beans are sometimes used in jewelry. However, castor beans contain one of the deadliest poisons in the world — ricin. How much varies from bean to bean (just like nightshade berries), but anywhere from one to eight beans can kill an adult. The effects of the poison vary depending on how it’s ingested, but death usually results in a few days.
All that said, the beans themselves are entirely unremarkable. At Crime Bake, one mystery writer proposed mixing them with coffee beans — in a novel, naturally (hence the Uncle Iroh quote about tea). In You Can’t Candle the Truth — well, you’ll just have to read the book and find out. 🙂
In the meantime, just be careful about which bean dishes or funky jewelry you chose to let into your life. 😉
Selected Resources
“Castor Bean, Ricinus communis.” Wisconsin Horticulture, Division of Extension. Find the article here.
“Facts About Ricin.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Find it here.
And don’t forget to check out Sarah’s new book here!
