I had no idea there was a word for this

[gryphonrhi]

Mithridatism:  The developing of immunity to a poison by taking gradually increasing doses of it.

I can't decide if I love that there's a word for this, or if it worries me.  Off to look up the etymology...

ETA:  Personally, I think pretty much everyone reading this journal is smarter than to try that out, but my advice on the subject would be: don't

Comments

[bugeyedmonster]

THE PRINCESS BRIDE!

Sorry, just remember how Wesley built up an immunity to a poison...

[gryphonrhi]

::lol:: That's the second person who had that reaction... Yeah. There's a word for that? WTF knew?

[warclaw]

yep, and if you screw up and try this with the wrong poison, or get too much, you get the ultimate immunity to further harm from it...or any other poison. Death.

Some toxins you don't ever develop immunity to, no matter how many times exposed. And others build up in your system until you get past the lethal range (Some w/no symptoms until it's FAR past too late.)

And still others have such a ridiculously tiny MLD (Median lethal dose, or how much of a given substance can be expected to kill 50% of those dosed), that I wish you well trying to titrate the toxin dosage.

[gryphonrhi]

::grins at you:: And you know full well that I'm smarter than to think of trying it. Talk about 'leave it to the experts!'

[jimpage363]

So I am assuming a connecting to Mithradates but have no idea how the poison bit comes into it. Or perhaps some ludicrous method of worshiping the god Mithra? But I would rather assume the nice Persian king built up his own tolerance to poison in this way. I have 0 data to support this.