Monday, June 24, 2002

One of my favorite outdoor activities is hiking here in the mountains around the San Francisco Bay Area. In summer you have to look out for rattlesnakes, of course. It seems even riskier this year since there is a shortage of rattlesnake antivenin in California. Until I read this story this morning I had always thought the vaccine you received after a snake bite was called antivenom. It turns out that isn't even a word (according to the American Heritage Dictionary). Antivenin : 1. An antitoxin active against the venom of a snake, spider, or other venomous animal or insect. 2. An animal serum containing antivenins. It is used in medicine to treat poisoning caused by animal or insect venom.

No comments: