The listing said the substance was a controlled neuromuscular blocking drug used in hospital operating rooms to cause total paralysis of the skeletal muscles.

It stopped voluntary movement and suppressed normal breathing reflexes within twelve minutes of entering a vein.

A bold red warning line at the bottom of the entry said the drug had no anesthetic or sedative effect whatsoever.

A patient given the drug stayed fully conscious and alert and could still feel everything, while being completely unable to move a finger or speak.

I took my blue ledger notebook out of my apron pocket and wrote the chemical name and the dosage warnings in neat, tiny print.