Word: saxitoxin
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Kohane said the “key” ingredient was saxitoxin, a known antibiotic, that produced nerve blocks lasting up to two days...
...When saxitoxin was combined with the steroid dexamethasone, the nerve block extended for seven days, said Epstein-Barash...
Unlike conventional anesthetics, which often cause toxicity to surrounding tissues, impeding the development of slow-release anesthetic systems, the sustained release formulation containing saxitoxin resulted in very high local concentration—“the rat’s leg fell asleep”, said Kohane—but surrounding tissue did not sustain damage...
...made in the toxin case. According to the U.N.'s Biological Weapons Convention, the U.S. Government has until Dec. 26 to get rid of all biological warfare materials. Probably the best solution was proposed last week by Murdoch Ritchie, a Yale pharmacology professor and an expert on saxitoxin. Since it is invaluable for the study of such diseases as multiple sclerosis, Ritchie urged that the CIA's costly trove of the poison be turned over to medical researchers. Under the terms of the U.N. accord, peaceful uses of even the deadliest poisons are perfectly permissible...
...1950s the CIA began experimenting with saxitoxin at Fort Detrick, Md., where it also carried out the notorious LSD experiments that led to, among other things, the long hushed-up death of Biochemist Frank Olson (TIME, July 21). Researchers took contaminated butter clams and distilled the poison from them through a costly process. According to sources close to Church's panel, the CIA used saxitoxin in suicide pills for its own agents (U2 Pilot Francis Gary Powers had one, but chose to pass it up) and had it on hand to eliminate troublesome guard dogs when breaking into embassies...