A substance or remedy that counteracts or neutralizes the effects of a poison; an antidote.
From counter- + poison (from Old French puison, ultimately from Latin potio, a drink). The word became common in medical and alchemical texts from the Middle Ages onward when physicians sought universal antidotes.
Medieval physicians believed in a 'universal counterpoison' that could cure any poison, leading to the creation of 'mithridatium,' a real medicine containing dozens of ingredients—ironically, the legend was started by a Persian king who immunized himself through tiny doses of poison!
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