💉 The surprising history of Botox Before it became one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the world, Botox had a very different origin. It was first linked to food poisoning from contaminated sausage in Germany. The bacterium responsible was later named Bacillus botulinus (from the Latin botulus, meaning sausage). Fast forward to the 1960s, when ophthalmologist Alan Scott began studying botulinum toxin for medical use — specifically to treat strabismus (misaligned eyes). By the 1980s, i