Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
"Martin Sykes" writes:
|
| "Neil Jones" wrote in message
|
| Ricin is 6,000 times more poisonous per gram than cyanide. There is no
| antidote but scientists are working on a vaccine.
|
| Surely you can only vaccinate against viruses? Depending on how the ricin
| was ingested I'd expect you'ld have to ingest another chemical by the same
| method which would react with the ricin to produce a non-toxic compound?

No. You used to vaccinate against bacteria, too. But recent
research has shown that the immune system is adaptive against
not just live organisms but some classes of 'simple' chemicals,
as well. So you can sometimes vaccinate against poisons.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

What Nick says is again true. Remember however that the original article
does come from my local _RAG_. Actually there are bacterial vaccines
still in use
Cholera and Typhoid are bacterial if I rememeber correctly. I have been
vaccinated against
both.


--
Neil Jones- http://www.butterflyguy.com/
NOTE NEW WEB ADDRESS
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve