Relating to or used against poisons; having the property of counteracting the effects of toxins.
From Greek alexicos, from alexein (to ward off). The prefix alex- means 'to protect against' or 'to defend from.' Used in older medical terminology, especially in discussions of antidotes and remedies.
Before modern chemistry, 'alexic' substances were the medieval pharmacist's way of saying 'antidote'—any substance that supposedly protected you from poison became 'alexic,' even if it was mostly hopeful thinking and herbs.
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