A chemical compound used as a muscle relaxant in surgery that temporarily paralyzes muscles so doctors can perform procedures safely.
From deca- (ten) + methon- (referring to methyl groups) + -ium (chemical suffix). Coined in the 20th century for this synthetic pharmaceutical with ten methylene groups in its structure.
Decamethonium was one of the first synthetic compounds used to replace curare, a poison indigenous peoples used on blow darts, showing how chemistry transformed dangerous plant toxins into controlled medical tools.
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