ABSTRACT
Organic chemicals also have been used in an unethical manner, often as poisons. Socrates (∼470-399 BCE) was a Greek philosopher from Athens. Many prominent Athenians turned against Socrates due to his philosophical beliefs, and he was found guilty of both corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens and of not believing in the gods of the state. He was sentenced to death by drinking a mixture containing poison hemlock. Poison hemlock is widely associated with Conium maculatum, which contains many alkaloids. Although di£cult to dene because of their structural diversity, alkaloids are commonly assumed to be basic nitrogenous compounds of plant origin that are physiologically active. e most abundant compound in this plant appears to be the poisonous alkaloid coniine. Coniine is a neurotoxin that disrupts the peripheral nervous system, and respiratory paralysis results into death.
