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Curare



Curare, any of a number of alkaloid plant extracts originally used by South American tribes to make poison arrow tips. Curare paralyzes by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses in skeletal muscle. It is used medically as a relaxant before the administering of anesthesia, enabling the dose of anesthetic to be as low as possible.



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21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Cretinism to Davis, David