An acute effect is an effect that o

An acute effect is an effect that occurs shortly after contact with a single dose of poison. The effect depends on how poisonous the substance is and on where it is applied. A drop of curare is more dangerous if injected under the skin than applied onto the skin, and inorganic arsenic compounds are generally more toxic than those of sodium. The way in which an acute poison acts is generally well understood. So acute toxic poisoning can be quantified and it can be properly argued that, below a certain dose, a substance is not toxic.