Nature's Toxic Gifts: The Deadly Story of Poison

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View in Browser    Nature's Toxic Gifts: The Deadly Story of Poison The use of poison has been a guiding hand of history for millennia. This is its story. By: Meg Neal When prehistoric hunters first dipped their arrows in snake venom, we turned nature's toxic gifts against one another for the first time in history. It would not be the last.   Over the centuries, different lethal concoctions have been in vogue, and the popular pick was generally whatever could be plucked off the local herbalist or apothecary's shelves. "A poison in a small dose is a medicine," said Alfred Swaine Taylor, a 19th century toxicologist, "and a medicine in a large dose is a poison." Classic poisons like hemlock, nightshade, aconite, foxglove, opium, and strychnine were used to treat a range of ails, from the humble head cold to heart conditions, and even worn as makeup. Toxic metals like mercury, lead, and arsenic were ingredients in medicines lining pharmacy shelves as late as the 20th century. For as long as we've needed to cure, we've also been tempted to kill—and poison has provided the means. This is a free preview of Pop Mech Pro. Join now for less than $1 a week to read the rest of the story and more of Popular Mechanics' most in-depth, exclusive features.  JOIN NOW MORE FROM POP MECH PRO SCIENCE READ NOW The Complete History of the Autopsy TECH READ NOW Why the Hulett Unloader Is One of History's Greatest Forgotten Machines HOME READ NOW How to Make Mead and Drink Like a Viking Follow Us Unsubscribe Privacy Notice PopularMechanics.com ©2020 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019