Literary notes about toxic (AI summary)
Writers employ "toxic" in a remarkably versatile manner, using it to describe not only the literal poisonous properties of substances but also to evoke metaphorical environments of danger and decay. In scientific and medical narratives, it denotes anything from chemical compounds that can harm biological tissues ([1], [2]) and environmental agents whose accumulation can lead to fatal conditions ([3], [4]) to precise dosage measurements that separate safe from harmful quantities ([5], [6]). At the same time, creative literature harnesses the word to suggest corrupting influences in human interactions or societal structures—often portraying technological, social, or psychological elements as inherently toxic ([7], [8], [9]). This dual usage highlights how "toxic" can articulate both tangible and symbolic threats, bridging the gap between empirical analysis and literary metaphor.
- Uexkull, who was the first to mention it, considered that the gemmiform pedicellariæ alone are toxic.
— from Venoms: Venomous Animals and Antivenomous Serum-therapeutics by A. (Albert) Calmette - The fumes given off by acetone, benzine, xylene, and formaldehyde are toxic and may cause sickness.
— from The Science of Fingerprints: Classification and Uses by United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation - Thorough boiling of the water rids it of its toxic properties.
— from Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Alexis Thomson - Rugh, J.T. Profound toxic effects from the drinking of large amounts of strong coffee.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - The toxic dose is 1 gram of dried plant for each kilogram of weight of the animal. Botanical Description .—A
— from The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by T. H. Pardo de Tavera - Series C. In these experiments the minimum toxic dose was determined.
— from The Toxicity of Caffein: An experimental study on different species of animals by J. B. (John Benjamin) Rieger - Natalie and her students rewire toy robot dogs from Toys R Us and turn them into bad-ass toxic-waste detectors.
— from Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - The problems of the true neuroses, whose symptoms probably originate in direct toxic damage, yield no point of attack to psychoanalysis.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud - They unleash them on public parks where big corporations have dumped their waste and demonstrate in media-friendly fashion how toxic the ground is.
— from Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
