ABSTRACT
Antibodies have been used to inactivate protein poisons from animals and microbes in vivo for many years. Antivenins used to treat poisoning with snake venom are one example. This topic has been reviewed previously (Sullivan, 1986; Howland and Smilkstein, 1991). The term antivenin was used for the first antiserum for snake venom poisoning prepared for human use (Calmette, 1907 – see section 4.3.2). It has been retained in many parts of the world on the basis of historical precedent, and because it identifies a specific process, immunization, in its preparation. The term antivenom, on the other hand, is frequently used for any product that acts against venom, such as trypsin.
