‘Who knows how to heal knows how to destroy’
A woman’s testimony before the Inquisition, Modena, 1499.
An Alarming Taste
Bitterness is the hallmark of many poisonous plants. It is the warning flavour that signals something unsavoury is about to happen.
Deadly Nightshade aka Belladonna
Thinking about the relation of women to poisons, no other plant represents this link more than deadly nightshade or belladonna…
Conium Maculatum
Although not particularly noteworthy in look, its history is long and its neurotoxicity is even higher.
Today’s arrival by post, Plants That Kill
Looking forward to reading this book by Elizabeth A. Dauncey and Sonny Larsson, Plants That Kill: A Natural History of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants.