Toxicology is an ancient practice through which naturally derived poisons were likely used for hunting, warfare, medicinals, and even intentional poisonings (Borzelleca 2001).
Among the externally derived poisons are bacterial toxins, such as those in tetanus, which excite ventral-horn cells of the spinal cord, with resulting muscular rigidity; diphtheria, which produce severe loss of myelin from motor nerves, causing limp weakness of the throat and other muscles; and botulism and tick paralysis, which prevent normal transmission of impulses between nerve and muscle.
It's yet another song from the band that walks the line between melancholy and hope, in this case derived from poison apples and packs of dwarves, respectively.
Even today, most patients undergoing major surgery have no idea that part of the anaesthetic mix will be a modern pharmaceutical version of curare, a poison derived from a South American plant, which causes paralysis.
Improvements on the Horizon: In the 60 years since warfarin was derived from rat poison, there have been no new blood-thinning pills, although various injectible blood thinners have been marketed.
One of them was a poison derived from mustard gas used in World War I.
That plan calls for gill nets, electrofishing devices and rotenone, a natural poison derived from peas that kills animals with gills, breaks down rapidly and poses no threat to water supplies.
A number of topoisomerase II poisons derived from natural sources display chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive activity.
Ziconotide, or Prialt, is derived from cone-snail poison.
Gordon's a Princeton grad, and conflicted "moderate" Democrat, who seems in real life to be a very likeable guy, but one who is having trouble rationalizing the truth that his professional and economic success are derived from mainlining political poison into America's bloodstream.
