Plural of curare; a South American plant extract used as a paralyzing poison and later developed into medical anesthetics and muscle relaxants.
From Tupi 'curare,' a word from indigenous South American languages. The substance was traditionally used by indigenous peoples on blow darts, and Europeans learned of it through contact with South American cultures.
Curare toxins from poison dart frogs and plants absolutely revolutionized modern surgery—anesthesiologists use curare-derived drugs to relax muscles during operations, and it came from indigenous knowledge that Europeans initially thought was just witchcraft!
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