History of Toxicology and Environmental Health: Toxicology in Antiquity Volume I

by Philip Wexler (Other)

Toxicology in Antiquity is the first in a series of short format works covering key accomplishments, scientists, and events in the broad field of toxicology, including environmental health and chemical safety. This first volume sets the tone for the series and starts at the very beginning, historically speaking, with a look at toxicology in ancient times. The book explains that before scientific research methods were developed, toxicology thrived as a very practical discipline. People living in ancient civilizations readily learned to distinguish safe substances from hazardous ones, how to avoid these hazardous substances, and how to use them to inflict harm on enemies. It also describes scholars who compiled compendia of toxic agents. Provides the historical background for understanding modern toxicology Illustrates the ways ancient civilizations learned to distinguish safe from hazardous substances, how to avoid the hazardous substances and how to use them against enemies Details scholars who compiled compendia of toxic agents

225 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2014

Reviews

[Laura]

Cleópatra VII managed to acquire at least some rudimentary knowledge of medicine. She was aware of gynecological diseases and was conversant in pharmacology and botany, and may have authored several scientific texts. Some says were found beside her head in her tomb but are no longer extant. She produced her own eye makeup, aromatic oils, remedies for baldness, antiseptics, and beauty products. She wrote a treatise called the “Cosmetics”, which discussed remedies, potions, and ointments. This treatise was mentioned by Galen (third century), Aetius of Amida in Alexandria (sixth century), Paul of Aegina (seventh century), and John Tzetes (twelfth century). The longevity of this work’s usefulness owes a debt to her knowledge of pharmacology and cosmetics.
During Cleopatra’s reign, the city of Alexandria was a center of science.


Cleópatra had a deep understanding of poisons, as well as a personal physician trained in the Alexandria School, and almost certainly possessed an apothecary of potions, poisons, and antidotes. She might as well, have developed a partial immunity to common poisos if she had been regularly self-administering a thermal.

Mithridates (the first experimental toxicologist) of Pontus and his universal antidote to all poisons and toxins: Mithridatium.

Toxic plantas: henbane, hellebore, hemlock, aconite (monkshood), thorn apple (datura)
Tested population: condemned criminal and slaves

Black Sea area

Hemlock (Conium macularem L.).

[Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always interesting, although the writing is uneven (it's a collection of academic essays, so different authors each chapter). Lear the truth about Socrates 'hemlock' and Cleopatra's 'asp' (neither legend is 100% accurate).