ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the discovery of botulinum toxins from when they were first discovered as the cause of fatal food poisoning in sausages at the end of the 18th century in Germany. At first, there were a number of clinical usages discovered for the toxins, including the treatment of ulcers, delusions, rabies, plague, tuberculosis and yellow fever. With the advancement of World War II, more sinister uses were discovered for it in biological weapons. It wasn't until the late 1960s and early 1970s that an ophthalmologic surgeon discovered botulinum could be used to treat strabismus, and therefore many other muscular disorders. This led to its more cosmetic usage when, in 2002, the FDA approved its use for non-surgical reduction of glabellar furrows, and the world of facial rejuvenation changed dramatically. Finally, the chapter concludes how botulinum neurotoxins has become one of the most versatile pharmaceuticals across the globe for a broad range of therapeutic and cosmetic applications.
