Have you ever heard that it was possible to get poisoned with kitchen salt? Or pure water? Did you think this was just a legend? There are thousands of toxic substances in the world, many of which surround us in our everyday life – whether it’s domestic plants, cleaning agents or even some of the most basic medications.
A lot of medicaments, cosmetics or for example paints that were commonly used in the past had to be banned due to their toxicity. And, vice versa, some well-known poisonous materials were later discovered to also have healing effects, as long as they were administered in the correct ways and doses.
In this course we‘re going to take a look at the topic of poisons from a broader perspective. Together, we’ll discover what kinds of poisonous substances there are, what effects they might have on the human body and what part they have played in the history of our society. We will dive not only into chemistry and botany, but also into detective novels. We will uncover a few real cases of poisoning – some of them rather curious and bizarre. Among other interesting facts, we’re also going to find out why we should beware of the smell of bitter almonds, why being an artist in the 17th century was a life-threatening job or what link there is between eye drops, witchcraft and the Greek goddess of fate.
The course is open to anybody who is interested in the subject, no previous knowledge is required.