The Science Behind The Apothecary Diaries: Death by Poisoned Wood
In episode two of The Apothecary Diaries, an army collapses without a single blade raised. Soldiers, healthy and confident just hours before, fall one after another -- nauseated, gasping for brath, dying with the confusion of people who never saw death coming.
Not sorcery. Not sabotage.
Just a pair of chopsticks. 🥢
Let's talk about the wood that Kills 🪵
When the soldiers ran out of utensils they made their own -- carving chopsticks from branches around their camp, sharpening them by the fire.
But not all trees are kind. 🌳
Many species in the Prunus family (wild cherry, laurel, peach, almond) hide a secret defense: cyanogenic glycosides. When the plant is damaged or heated, these molecules break down and release hydrogen cyanide (HCN) -- the same gas once used in chemical warfare. 🔥
The heat cracked open the glycosides. Cyanide gas seeped out, invisible and sweet-bitter, coating the chopsticks they carved. Later, when the warm air of the mouth and saliva touched that wood, the reaction began again.
But, how the cyanide silences the body? ☠️
Cyanide doesn't make you choke -- it makes your cells choke
It binds to cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme in your mitochondria that lets your cells use oxygen. Once blocked, oxygen becomes useless. Your body still carries it, but your cells can't touch it.
You suffocate, even as you brathe.
Dizziness and confusion 😵💫
Rapid death by asphyxiation ☠️
In short, the soldiers' tragic fate was nothing more than a swift death by internal asphyxiation born from chemistry and fire.
If you have any questions about this topic, I'd be happy to answer them. 🤔
I hope you enjoyed reading, and if you have ideas for other posts (outside this series) I'd love to hear them too. 💜
