This list covers 25 poisons, ranging alphabetically from “Ergot” to “Ethylene Oxide.” They come from fungi, plants, snakes, frogs, and industrial chemicals, and they show up in farming, manufacturing, medicine, and even everyday food. Some occur naturally in the world around you, while others are man-made substances created for specific industrial or agricultural purposes.
Poisons are substances that harm the body when they enter it through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, disrupting normal biological processes. Throughout history, people have used them for hunting, warfare, and even trial by ordeal, as with the Calabar bean once given to suspected criminals in West Africa. Today, scientists study these same substances to understand how they work and how to treat exposure to them.
Below you’ll find the table with the poison, source, effects, antidote, and description for each entry.
Poison: the common or scientific name of each substance, so you can quickly identify what you’re looking at.
Source: where the poison comes from, whether that’s a plant, animal, fungus, or industrial process.
Effects: the symptoms and health problems you might see after exposure, from mild irritation to organ failure.
Antidote: the treatment or countermeasure available, letting you know what response a poisoning case might require.
Description: a short explanation that gives you context on how the poison works and why it matters.
Poisons
| Poison | Source | Effects | Antidote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ergot | Claviceps purpurea fungus | Gangrene, hallucinations, seizures | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Ethylene Glycol | Antifreeze and industrial coolants | Kidney failure, metabolic acidosis, coma | Fomepizole or ethanol |
| Endrin | Organochlorine pesticide | Seizures, tremors, respiratory failure | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Endosulfan | Organochlorine insecticide | Tremors, seizures, hyperexcitability | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Emetine | Alkaloid from ipecac root | Heart damage, muscle weakness | No specific antidote |
| Eserine (Physostigmine) | Calabar bean (Physostigma venenosum) | Excess salivation, slow heart rate, seizures | Atropine |
| Ethion | Organophosphate pesticide | Cholinergic crisis, respiratory failure | Atropine and pralidoxime |
| Ethylene Dibromide | Fumigant and fuel additive | Liver and kidney damage, cancer risk | No specific antidote |
| European Yew | Taxus baccata tree | Cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Eastern Coral Snake | Micrurus fulvius venom | Respiratory paralysis, muscle weakness | Coral snake antivenin |
| Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake | Crotalus adamanteus venom | Tissue destruction, severe bleeding | CroFab antivenom |
| Eastern Brown Snake | Pseudonaja textilis venom | Blood clotting failure, paralysis | Brown snake antivenom |
| Eastern Green Mamba | Dendroaspis angusticeps venom | Neurotoxic paralysis, respiratory failure | Antivenom |
| Epibatidine | Skin secretion of Ecuadorian poison frogs | Seizures, respiratory failure | No specific antidote |
| Euphorbia Sap | Euphorbia plant species | Skin blistering, eye damage | Wash affected area; supportive care |
| Ethyl Carbamate | Fermented foods and beverages | Increased cancer risk | None |
| Elemicin | Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) | Hallucinations, rapid heartbeat, nausea | Supportive care |
| Epichlorohydrin | Industrial chemical used in resins | Respiratory irritation, organ damage | No specific antidote |
| Entoloma sinuatum | Toxic mushroom (livid pinkgill) | Severe vomiting, diarrhea | Supportive care |
| Elderberry (raw/unripe) | Sambucus plant | Nausea, vomiting, cyanide-related symptoms | Supportive care |
| English Ivy | Hedera helix | Vomiting, skin rash | Supportive care |
| Euonymus | Spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus) berries | Vomiting, cardiac disturbances | Supportive care |
| Ethylenediamine | Industrial solvent and chemical intermediate | Skin and respiratory irritation | No specific antidote |
| Eucalyptus Oil | Eucalyptus tree leaves | Seizures, drowsiness, vomiting | Activated charcoal; supportive care |
| Ethylene Oxide | Industrial sterilizing gas | Respiratory damage, increased cancer risk | No specific antidote |
Descriptions
Ergot
A fungus that grows on rye and other grains, producing alkaloids that constrict blood vessels and affect the nervous system. Historic poisoning epidemics caused convulsions and blackened, gangrenous limbs.
Ethylene Glycol
A sweet-tasting liquid used in antifreeze that the body metabolizes into toxic acids, leading to severe kidney damage and, without treatment, death.
Endrin
A now largely banned insecticide once used on crops. It overstimulates the nervous system and can cause violent convulsions within hours of exposure.
Endosulfan
A banned agricultural insecticide that disrupts nerve signaling, causing agitation, muscle spasms, and seizures after significant exposure.
Emetine
Once used medically to induce vomiting, this plant alkaloid becomes dangerous with repeated use, damaging heart muscle and causing generalized weakness.
Eserine (Physostigmine)
A potent alkaloid from a West African bean that overstimulates the nervous system, historically used in trial-by-ordeal poisonings and now carefully applied in medicine.
Ethion
An agricultural insecticide that blocks a key nervous system enzyme, leading to uncontrolled muscle twitching, drooling, and potentially fatal breathing difficulty.
Ethylene Dibromide
An industrial chemical once widely used as a soil and grain fumigant, now restricted due to its toxicity to internal organs and cancer-causing potential.
European Yew
Nearly every part of this evergreen tree except the red berry flesh contains taxine alkaloids that can stop the heart within hours of ingestion.
Eastern Coral Snake
A brightly banded North American snake whose venom is a potent neurotoxin that can shut down the muscles controlling breathing.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
The largest venomous snake in North America, delivering venom that destroys tissue and disrupts normal blood clotting.
Eastern Brown Snake
One of the world’s most venomous land snakes, native to Australia, whose bite can cause rapid collapse from clotting failure and paralysis.
Eastern Green Mamba
A slender, fast-moving African snake whose bite delivers neurotoxins that can paralyze breathing muscles if left untreated.
Epibatidine
A powerful toxin secreted by a small South American frog, so potent that even tiny amounts can be lethal.
Euphorbia Sap
The milky sap of spurge plants contains irritant compounds that can burn skin, harm eyes, and cause vomiting if swallowed.
Ethyl Carbamate
Also called urethane, this compound forms naturally during fermentation of foods like bread and wine and is classified as a probable carcinogen.
Elemicin
A natural compound in nutmeg that, in large doses, produces disorienting hallucinogenic effects along with an unpleasant physical toxic reaction.
Epichlorohydrin
A reactive industrial chemical used to make epoxy resins, capable of irritating the lungs and damaging the liver and kidneys with prolonged exposure.
Entoloma sinuatum
A poisonous European mushroom often mistaken for edible species, causing intense gastrointestinal distress within hours of consumption.
Elderberry (raw/unripe)
Uncooked elderberries and their seeds contain cyanogenic compounds that can cause nausea and vomiting, though cooking neutralizes the toxin.
English Ivy
A common ornamental vine whose leaves and berries contain saponins that irritate the skin and digestive system if touched or eaten.
Euonymus
The colorful berries of this ornamental shrub contain cardiac glycosides that can upset the stomach and, in large amounts, affect heart rhythm.
Ethylenediamine
A corrosive industrial chemical used in manufacturing that can burn skin and irritate the lungs with direct exposure.
Eucalyptus Oil
A popular essential oil that is safe on skin in small amounts but can cause seizures and loss of consciousness if swallowed undiluted.
Ethylene Oxide
A colorless gas used to sterilize medical equipment, dangerous to inhale because it damages the lungs and is linked to cancer with chronic exposure.