Bitter Nemesis: The Intimate History of Strychnine

by Buckingham; John

• ISBN13: 9781420053159
• ISBN10: 1420053159
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2007-07-16
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Encouraged by the medicinal success of quinine, early 19th century scientists hoped strychnine, another plant alkaloid with remarkable properties, might also become a new weapon against disease. Physicians tried for over a century, despite growing evidence to the contrary, to treat everything from paralysis to constipation with it. But strychnine proved only to be disappointingly deadly-relegating its fate almost entirely to animal control, the dangerous adulteration of foods, and criminal exploits.The NOTORIOUS and TRUE story of how a POISONOUS alkaloid...Bitter Nemesis: The Intimate History of Strychnine presents a scholarly and compelling history of this fascinating chemical substance from its discovery to present times. A renowned editor for the Dictionary of Natural Products, Dr. John Buckingham fuses his eclectic interests into an extraordinary mix of original research spanning the realms of history, medicine, literature, chemistry, and forensics....Changed the course of HISTORY!Uncovering details and logistics from the earliest experiments performed in an era when proper scientific trials for testing new drugs were still in their infancy, the author explores strychnine's trial-and-error contributions to scientific, medical, and forensic developments. He also investigates historical milestones and the perception of strychnine in popular culture-including criminal notoriety, accidental misuse, and new claims of strychnine's benefits that extend through to the present day.Juxtaposing the real trials, mistrials, and persistent curiosity associated with one of history's most notorious pharmaceutical failures, Bitter Nemesis offers rare insight into the anarchic, yet inspired landscape, practices, and legacy of 19th century science.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. vii
Picture Credits	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Note on Weights and Measures	p. xiii
Note on Nomenclature	p. xv
Introduction	p. xvii
Some Disadvantages of a Weak Constitution	p. 1
Nuts	p. 19
The Patient Generally Lies on His Back	p. 33
M. Vauquelin's Lack of Fame	p. 47
Perfidious Dutchmen Bark up the Wrong Tree	p. 57
You Will Be Careful as to the Second Article	p. 63
You Hold Him Down, I'll Pour It Down His Throat	p. 83
Overture to the Sorcerer's Apprentice	p. 97
The Fop, the Scotsman and the Opium-Eater	p. 111
It Will Be the Test-Tube and the Retort That Will Hang Him	p. 125
Shaken in Every Possible Way	p. 141
Mrs. Dove's Brush with the Media	p. 167
That Clever Dr. Letheby, So Ugly and Terrific	p. 181
Tigers, Lions, etc.; Six Hundred Kilograms	p. 201
The Blue Anchor Murder and Other Outrages	p. 221
I Didn't Know It Was Used for Poisoning	p. 239
Is There a Faceless Fiend?	p. 247
Another Round of Pay Phone Hysteria	p. 259
Bibliography	p. 269
Index	p. 277
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