Ferguson M B, Vance M A
Butler University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208, USA.
J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2000;38(1):71-7. doi: 10.1081/clt-100100921.
In 1933 in Leon, Nicaragua, a 22-year-old woman died after an acute convulsive illness in which she experienced trismus, opisthotonos, and hyperpyrexia. Three years later her husband, Oliverio Castaneda, was convicted of her murder and that of 2 other people in the same city.
We went to Nicaragua to investigate documents involved with that case and evaluate whether the verdict of murder by strychnine was substantiated by the data. We present the results of the investigation and provide information about the practice of medicine, pharmacy, and toxicology early in this century.
The clinical picture in all 3 cases suggests strychnine poisoning. The clinical, toxicological, and circumstantial evidence is strong and implicates Castaneda as a murderer and strychnine as the weapon.
We conclude that Oliverio Castaneda was the probable perpetrator of three 1933 strychnine murders in Leon and that he may have previously used strychnine to kill others in Nicaragua and neighboring countries.
1933年，在尼加拉瓜的莱昂，一名22岁女子在经历了一场急性惊厥疾病后死亡，她出现了牙关紧闭、角弓反张和高热症状。三年后，她的丈夫奥利维奥·卡斯塔涅达被判谋杀了她以及该市的另外两人。
我们前往尼加拉瓜调查与该案件相关的文件，并评估士的宁谋杀罪的判决是否有数据支持。我们展示调查结果，并提供有关本世纪初医学、药学和毒理学实践的信息。
所有3起案件的临床表现均提示士的宁中毒。临床、毒理学和间接证据确凿，表明卡斯塔涅达是凶手，士的宁是凶器。
我们得出结论，奥利维奥·卡斯塔涅达很可能是1933年莱昂三起士的宁谋杀案的凶手，他此前可能还在尼加拉瓜和邻国使用士的宁杀害过其他人。
