Botox is used medically to treat certain various muscular conditions, and cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing the muscles. It is made from a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum (A mouthful, I know). Although it is well known that Botox is a powerful poison, when used correctly, it has a number of useful applications. The bacterium Clostridium botulinum is found in many natural settings, including soil, lakes, and forests (Yay! Nature).
What is also interesting is that bacterium can also be found in the intestinal tracts of mammals and fish and in the gills and organs of crabs and other shellfish. Such naturally occurring instances of Clostridium botulinum bacteria and spores are generally for the most part harmless. Problems will only arise when the spores transform into vegetative cells and the cell population increases. At a certain point, the bacteria begin producing botulinum toxin (thus becoming poisonous), the deadly neurotoxin responsible for botulism.
Botulinum toxin is administered by then diluting the powder in saline and injecting it directly into neuromuscular tissue. It takes 24-72 hours for botulinum toxin to take effect as poison. In very rare circumstances, it may take as long as 5 days for the full effect of botulinum toxin to be observed. Botulinum toxin should not be used in pregnant or lactating women, or by people who have had a previous allergic reaction to the drug or any of its ingredients at all.
