Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: that mad man on 18/04/2008 20:07:32

Title: How are antidotes to poisons made from poisons?
Post by: that mad man on 18/04/2008 20:07:32
You may have seen pictures of snake milking where the snake is made to express its venom in a container.

The venom gets collected and is modified so it can then be used as an antidote for someone who has been poisoned by the same type of snake. It seems strange to me to use the same poison to treat a poisoning even though it has been altered in some way.

How does this work and what happens to make it an effective "antidote" ?

I have to admit, I know little about this and have done no research at all as it was a just thought prompted by another thread.
Title: Re: How are antidotes to poisons made from poisons?
Post by: Madidus_Scientia on 19/04/2008 13:39:54
My basic understanding of it was that they give a dose of the venom to a horse or a pig, which then produces antibodies to the poison, and then the antibodies are extracted from the animals blood to use as an antidote.
Title: Re: How are antidotes to poisons made from poisons?
Post by: that mad man on 19/04/2008 22:29:39
@ Madidus_Scientia.

That makes sense to me, give a dose to an animal so that it wont kill it and then collect the antibodies and use them.

Thanks for that as its spurred me on to read more. [:)]