Swallowed poisons can be absorbed by what when mixed with water into a thick syrup?

The correct answer is charcoal because activated charcoal is commonly used in medical settings to treat poison ingestion. When mixed with water to form a thick syrup, activated charcoal binds to many types of swallowed poisons, preventing their absorption into the bloodstream. This property makes charcoal an effective agent for minimizing the effects of poison in emergency situations.

In contrast, while water can dissolve some substances, it does not have the capacity to bind to poisons and prevent their absorption. Milk may sometimes be used in certain poisoning cases to soothe the stomach or coat it, but it does not serve the same purpose as activated charcoal and could potentially increase absorption in some poisonings. Gelatin does not possess the absorptive qualities required to mitigate poisoning effects effectively. This makes charcoal the clear choice for binding and preventing the harmful effects of ingested poisons when mixed with water.