In martial arts novels, crane top red is a poison that often appears, and the name of this medicine is easily reminiscent of the red on the top of the head of the red-crowned crane (also known as the crane), so most people think that the crane top red is the thing on the top of the crane's head, but this is not the case.
Poison Crane top red refers to the famous arsenic, also known as arsenic and letter stone, etc., which is a relatively common in ancient times, but also relatively easy to prepare poison, in fact, it is the compound arsenic trioxide, the molecular formula is As2O3, odorless and odorless, the appearance is white frost powder, so called arsenic, it is a highly toxic by-product produced by a certain number of designated mineral treatment processes, there are also natural arsenic, due to the different impurities slightly red, gray or yellow, The red color of arsenic is similar to the red color on the top of the red-crowned crane's head, so it is also called crane-top red.
The ancient method of making arsenic cream is relatively simple, which is a refined product obtained by sublimation of arsenic (natural arsenic ore, or processed by poisonous sand (sulfur arsenic iron ore) and xionghuang). Usually, the minerals containing arsenic sulfide are crushed, large pieces of rock are removed, calcined together with charcoal in a closed container, and after the sand is sublimated, it condenses into a powder (usually white) that is arsenic. It is recorded in the "Materia Medica" that "put the arsenic on the fire, cover it with an instrument, make the arsenic smoke fly up, cover the instrument, and then condense, and sag like a nipple tip, the old one wins, and the short one is second." The large pieces are already inferior, the pieces such as fine chips are extremely inferior, and the medicine should be used as nipple-tip elders.
Therefore, the poison crane top red does not refer to the red on the top of the red crane' head, but the most common poison arsenic cream in ancient times, and friends who do not know this are likely to think that the crane top red is the red on the top of the red crane's head as the name suggests.
Arsenic is the most famous highly toxic drug in ancient times, it can damage human health through the respiratory system and digestive system, it mainly affects the nervous system and capillary permeability, and also has a stimulating effect on the skin and mucous membranes. If you are poisoned by accidental ingestion, there will be nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps of limbs, oliguria and anuria, coma, respiratory paralysis and even death, so arsenic is a highly toxic substance, and it is necessary to avoid inhalation or accidental ingestion.
So what is the red thing on the top of the red-crowned crane's head? Is it a pinch of red feathers? In fact, it is not a feather, but a building of skin and cuticles, which looks like a lot of smaller "red sarcoma", it is not toxic, and it will change with the mood of the red-crowned crane and the environment in which it is located! For example, when the spring estrus period comes, this red area will become larger, and in the winter it will shrink, they will become larger when they are happy, and they will become smaller when they are nervous, and the older the adult red-crowned crane, the smaller the red on the top of the head, and the red on the top of the old red-crowned crane will disappear.