Abstract
Botulinum toxin is one of the deadliest poisons known, causing death by muscle paralysis. As a poison, it is most commonly encountered as a source of food poisoning, and there are shivers around the world when it surfaces as a possible biologic weapon. Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is a polypeptide consisting of a light chain and a heavy chain bridged by a single disulfide bond. There are seven serologically distinct but structurally similar types of botulinum toxin: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.Alan Scott first had the idea that small doses . . .