Martial arts novels are deceptive, there are not so many antidotes in this world!

in novels and movies, the plot about poison is often fascinating, but sometimes it is also deeply confusing. Can the routine operation of these fictional works, such as antidote detoxification, "immunity" toxicity, and fake death by taking poison, really be realized in reality?

[ Poison must have an antidote? How can this be a good thing ]

the heartbreak grass is the enemy of the love flower. If you get the turbid eye incense, you must get the antidote Babao lotus dew. In knight-errant stories, the relationship between poison and antidote is like a lock and key, and every poison with a cool name is always equipped with a special antidote-without it, the life of the poisoned must be saved.

but this is completely different from reality: in fact, most poisons have no specific antidote.

(most poisons have no antidote available | drawn by the author)

there are also some antidotes for specific poisons. For example, when the common drug paracetamol is over poisoned, there is a corresponding antidote called N-acetylcysteine. If nitrite poisoning, it can be treated with methylene blue. If it is rat drug "bromadiolone" poisoning, vitamin K1 can play a detoxifying effect. however, there are far fewer types of antidotes than large amounts of toxic substances. There are only about 40 antidotes against specific toxins in clinical medicine, and there are fewer antidotes available in a hospital.

however, just because there is no antidote does not mean there is no cure. On the one hand, gastric lavage, activated carbon adsorption, and other means can remove toxins from the digestive tract and prevent them from continuing to be absorbed, and blood purification therapy can also remove some of the toxins that have entered the human body. On the other hand, symptomatic supportive treatment can also improve the chances of survival of poisoned patients.

in addition, the real antidote is not that magical. They do counteract the effects of specific poisons, but they do not guarantee the complete elimination of toxic symptoms. At the same time, the antidote itself has side effects.

[ toxin resistance: this can have ]

gain some kind of "anti-toxin ability" through "exercise", you can avoid being set up by others, or use it to poison the enemy-- this plot is wonderful, but can people acquire "anti-toxin ability"?

if you broaden the scope, the answer is yes and you may already have this resistance.

We were vaccinated against tetanus when we were young, and the purpose of this vaccine is to immunize people with toxins. Tetanus produces toxic proteins that cause a muscle spasm, and the vaccine makes the immune system remember what the toxin looks like and produce antibodies to neutralize its toxicity. Of course, the vaccine does not expose people to the toxin itself, but its inactivated version.

(isn't it cool that you can add toxic resistance with a single injection? | pixabay)

[ what if you can't be immunized with antibodies? ]

of course, this is probably not the answer you want to see above. The familiar "poison immunity" scenario has nothing to do with the real immune system but starts taking poison in small doses until the body becomes tolerant to it, as written in the Count of Monte Cristo.

this tolerance to chemicals does sometimes exist. For example, after repeated exposure to morphine, people feel fewer analgesic effects and side effects. Tolerance results partly from metabolic changes and partly from changes in receptors. Tolerance is not as effective as immunity to tetanus toxin.

(for drugs, tolerance may make the therapeutic effect worse | pixabay)

can people resist classic poisons such as arsenic through tolerance? I can only say that there is a lack of evidence, and it is estimated that there will be no exact evidence in the future, after all, it is too unethical to do this kind of research. In vitro experiments, human cells have indeed developed a certain tolerance to arsenic [2], but it is not clear whether this can prevent poisoning.

there are many anecdotes about tolerance to poisons in history, such as the Stila arsenic eater. In the 19th century, it was reported that this group of people ate arsenic when they were idle, and they could eat more than the lethal dose from a small dose and still looked healthy.

(the Stillman arsenic eaters depicted in 19th-century books | J. H. Pepper, The Boy's Book of Metals, p. 433)

however, this rumor is not credible. On the one hand, "arsenic eaters" swallow solid particles, the poison is not fully dissolved, actually did not reach such a high dose; on the other hand, "arsenic eaters" also have cases of chronic arsenic poisoning and even death [3].

to be sure, small doses of poison can also bring danger, so it's certainly not a good idea to "exercise" yourself. Due to individual differences, some people will be poisoned at lower doses. For example, the poison brucine, which causes death at a dose of about 50-100 milligrams, once killed an unfortunate adult who ate only 16 milligrams [4]. In addition, long-term exposure to poisons may also produce cumulative toxicity. In the case of arsenic, long-term exposure can also lead to cancer [5].

[ poisoning fake death]: it's too hard ]

the most famous plot of "fake death with Poison" comes from Romeo and Juliet: Juliet takes the potion, her pulse stops beating and she doesn't breathe, as if she were dead. However, just 42 hours later, she woke up again.

(painter Francis Sydney Muschamp depicts Romeo and Juliet | artrenewal.org)

some sources believe that the "fake death potion" written by Shakespeare here may have originated from belladonna [6]. However, the poisonous plant has no "fake death" effect: the victim either falls into a lethargy, still has vital signs, or goes to real death. if the breathing and heartbeat almost stop, the brain tissue will be quickly damaged by hypoxia, and it will be impossible to recover from this state after dozens of hours. If I can wake up from a fake death like Juliet, I'm afraid I'll have to write a case report and submit it to the New England Journal of Medicine-- such a great medical miracle has come true, no matter what love it is.

(Atropa belladonna, belladonna is a famous poisonous plant originating in Europe | Kurt St ü ber/Wikipedia)

in modern film and television, another thing described as a "fake death drug" is tetrodotoxin. For example, in the movie Captain America: winter Warriors, there is a scenario in which tetrodotoxin B is used to fake death [7].

tetrodotoxin is a highly toxic drug that paralyzes people's muscles. People who are poisoned may be unable to move, have weak breathing, and have a slow heartbeat. If not examined carefully at this time, the victim may indeed look "dead". but the point remains that this is a very dangerous state that requires immediate and aggressive rescue to recover from it.

in this way, if we have to use tetrodotoxin to stage the play of "fake death" and "resurrection", the characters in the fictional works not only have to risk-taking poison but also have to collude with doctors to use it under guardianship. But under medical supervision, the difference between "slow breathing and heartbeat" and real death becomes obvious, and it is difficult to muddle through.

(recently I have been listening to the picture of Yongzheng swordsman, so I wrote this article, um)

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