Venoms and Poisons General

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…were a relatively common way of solving socio-political problems. The most commonly used poisons were alkaloids from hemlock, henbane, deadly nightshade, or poisonous mushrooms added to food or drinks. Among the most popular drugs were abortives (inducing abortion), aphrodisiacs (stimulating sexual excitement), analgesics (relieving pain), antiseptics (destroying bacteria), digestives (improving digestion), laxatives (promoting bowel movements), narcotics (inducing sleep with calming effects), and tonics (acting regeneratively and nutritively on the body). One of the worst food poisonings that affected broader rural society involved rye contaminated with the parasitic ergot fungus - before identifying the source of the poisoning, thousands of people fell victim to it, often resulting in accusations against local “witches” (ergot in lethal doses causes delirium and hallucinations). Indeed, the origins of “witchcraft” beliefs and accusations often stemmed from intoxication by psychedelic substances, sometimes used in the production of potions and ointments.

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