Poisons. Between Life and Death
14.99 €
In stock
It is paradoxical, but poisons have been faithful companions of mankind since ancient times. They are interpreted in myths, used in the struggle for power, and without them, both archaic rituals and the medicine of the future are impossible. Poisons are the source of death and salvation. Life and death. After all, only the dose determines everything.
The book by biologist Elina Stoyanova is a real "round-the-world trip" through the world of poisons: from Chinese medicine and poisoned arrows of Indian tribes to shamanic potions and deadly (literally) cosmetics of European beauties. You will learn how the most famous poisons "work" - curare, aconite, belladonna - get acquainted with the secrets of the "crab eye", cinnabar and bezoar stones, and also learn which poisons and how they are used in modern medicine.
How does the Western understanding of poisons differ from the Chinese? What is the "hemlock" that poisoned Socrates, and what made soma, the drink of the Indian gods, divine? What plant was called "the lord of a hundred medicines" in China, and was used in Greece to poison wolves? How can poison be neutralized to turn it into medicine? Are there poisonous birds? Finally, what can poisons tell us about specific cultures and about 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, maybe there are still many unexpected pages in this story that we will have to turn.
The book by biologist Elina Stoyanova is a real "round-the-world trip" through the world of poisons: from Chinese medicine and poisoned arrows of Indian tribes to shamanic potions and deadly (literally) cosmetics of European beauties. You will learn how the most famous poisons "work" - curare, aconite, belladonna - get acquainted with the secrets of the "crab eye", cinnabar and bezoar stones, and also learn which poisons and how they are used in modern medicine.
How does the Western understanding of poisons differ from the Chinese? What is the "hemlock" that poisoned Socrates, and what made soma, the drink of the Indian gods, divine? What plant was called "the lord of a hundred medicines" in China, and was used in Greece to poison wolves? How can poison be neutralized to turn it into medicine? Are there poisonous birds? Finally, what can poisons tell us about specific cultures and about 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, maybe there are still many unexpected pages in this story that we will have to turn.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
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