Often times the common names given to plants are due to their physical characteristics. Take the Brugmansia genus, for example, its common name is “Angel’s Trumpet.” By taking a look at these photos you can certainly see why it could be called such. It looks angelic, and certainly has a resemblance to an instrument in the … Continue reading
In the toxicology world, and especially when poisons are involved, Spanish born Mathieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila is the man. He is essentially the Godfather of toxicology, and its medicolegal component, and started us on the path towards detecting poisons in biological specimens. And in the early 1800’s he wrote several important books on identifying and treating … Continue reading
I find it cool when a poison has a literal killer history, yet finds use in hospitals around the world as a valuable medicine. That’s the story of physostigmine, an alkaloid found in Physostigma venenosum, the Calabar bean, and where we will start this tale. The Calabar bean is no doubt named for the area in which it was … Continue reading
Nature's Poisons 