Toxin : the cunning of bacterial poisons / Alistair J. Lax.

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2005.

viii, 192 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Toxins are everywhere : how toxins affected history -- The germ of an idea : a gradual acceleration up to the mid-1850s -- The golden age of microbiology : Pasteur, Koch, and the birth of the toxin concept -- The anatomy of diphtheria : taming the deadly scourge of childhood -- Understanding : all toxins fit into three basic mechanisms -- Why are plague and typhoid so deadly? : a further layer of cunning -- Deviant biology : weapons, espionage, and man's innate inhumanity -- A more optimistic outcome : from poison to cure and the cell biologist's toolkit -- Where is toxinology going now? : is there anything new out there?

Includes bibliographical references (p. [180]-189) and index.