The Poison Review

The great medical blog Life is the Fast Lane is based in Australia, so naturally their list of Greatest Hits from 2009 includes a post about the deadly box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), one of the many creatures down under that can make one’s remaining minutes on the planet short and unpleasant.  I was reminded of this passage from In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson’s delightful book about the smallest continent:

“”In fact, Australia has more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else: sharks, crocodiles, the ten most deadly poisonous snakes on the planet, fluffy yet toxic caterpillars, seashells that actually attack you, and the unbelievable box jellyfish (don’t ask). The dangerous riptides of the sea and the sun-baked wastes of the outback both lie in wait for the unwary. It’s one tough country.”