Ricin, the poison used to murder Markov

Here are some facts about ricin, the poison used to assassinate Markov. The fascinating, and rather beautiful, image on the book jacket is the ricin molecule. Here is a small excerpt from the book:

A lethal dose of ricin "is about one microgram: difficult to put into lay terms, it is about a thousandth of a tiny pinch of salt per kilo of body weight. For a man who weighs about 70 kilos, the tiniest pinch could be a lethal dose.

According to the experts from Porton Down, it takes 70 times as much cyanide to kill a man. An ounce of ricin could kill 90,000 people. Furthermore, because the symptoms take a long time to develop, the murdererer can be far away before suspicions are aroused."

However, there is always balance in nature. This incredibly destructive poison is also a potential life-giver. Ricin is a common component of immuno-toxins targeted against tumour cells or in the treatment of graft versus host disease.