Madar Poisoning - Forensic's blog

Madar ( AAK, AKDO)

Common Name: Calotropis, AAK, Akdo

Madar is organic irritant plant poison.
Madar grows in the wild almost everywhere in India.
There are two varieties viz. Calotropis gigantia which has purple flower and Calotropis procera which has white flowers.
It contains number of active principles which vary with terrain and climate. Some of the principles are highly poisonous.
The plant grows wildly with thick green oblong leaves.
The stem or leaves, when break or incised, yields thick, acrid, milky juice and bitter in taste.
When heated or allowed in to stand, it forms a white clot leaving a clear straw- coloured serum.
The serum contains an active principle gigantin which is highly toxic while the clot contains a less poisonous.
All the parts of this plant are toxic

All the parts of the plant are used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, the flowers as digestive stimulants, the leavesas external poultice, the powdered root as an emetic and milky juice as a vesicant depilatory.
It is used for treatment of chronic skin conditions.
It is used to cause abortions.
The juice is used by tanners for removing hair from and for deodourising them.
Snake charmers sometimes keep the roots of the plant to control poisonous snakes which do not like its smell.

The fatal dose is uncertain.

The fatal period is about 12 hours.

● Madar leaves, flowers, juice and roots are used for criminal purpose. They are given orally or introduced through the vagina or rectum.

● They are also used to poison cattle. A rag smeared with madar juice is placed in the rectum of the animals.

● Excessive doses are preparations prove fatal. The various parts of the plant have also been used for homicidal and suicidal purposes.

When the juice is applied externally, the skin becomes red and vesicates.
When instilled into the eyes, it produces fulminating conjunctivitis which may result in permanent impairment of vision.
There is acrid bitter taste.
When taken internally, it acts as gastrointestinal and cerebrospinal poison.
Burning pain in the throat and stomach.
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Dilated pupils
Salivation
Restlessness
Breathing problem.
Tetanic convulsions
Collape
Death
When powdered madar root is used as snuff, death causes immediately.

Madar juice has been used-
Sometimes for infanticide by mixing it with milk or water.
By ingestion and by local application on an abortion stick to procure abortion.
As a cattle poison by introducing a smeared cloth in the rectum of an animal or mixing it with fodder.
To produce artificial bruises
Rearely for suicide or homicide.
The roots of calotropis procera are highly poisonous to cobra and other poisonous snakes. Snake charmers use it to control the newly caught snakes which can not even stand its smell.
The use of this plant as an arrow poison is known.