Poisons. Between Life and Death

Paradoxically, poisons have been faithful companions of humanity since ancient times. They are conceptualized in myths, used in the struggle for power, and are indispensable for both archaic rituals and the medicine of the future. Poisons are a source of both destruction and salvation. Life and death. After all, everything is determined only by the dose.

The book by biologist Elina Stoyanova is a true "around-the-world" journey through the world of poisons: from traditional Chinese medicine and the poisoned arrows of indigenous tribes to shamanic concoctions and deadly (in the literal sense) cosmetics of European beauties. You will learn how the most famous poisons work—curare, aconite, belladonna—and discover the secrets of "crab eye," cinnabar, and bezoar stones, as well as what poisons are used and how in modern medicine.

How does the Western understanding of poisons differ from the Chinese? What is "hemlock," from which Socrates was poisoned, and what made soma—a drink of Indian gods—divine? Which plant was called the "master of a hundred medicines" in China, and was used in Greece to poison wolves? How can one neutralize poison to turn it into medicine? Are there poisonous birds? Finally, what can poisons tell us about specific cultures and humanity as a whole?
The world of poisons is vast, complex, and mysterious. It is a story of life and death, light and darkness, that continues to this day. And who knows, perhaps in this story there are still many unexpected pages that await us to turn.