In the 16th century, when explorers travelled deeper into the jungles of South America in search of gold and spices, they brought back many colourful tales of their adventures to amaze and impress their sponsors. None of these
tales was more astonishing, or caused more concern, than that of the mystical properties of the substance with which the natives anointed their darts and
arrows. They described, in some detail, 'the flying death', caused by the
magical South American arrow poison...So begins the astonishing true story of
the discovery of one of the most important substances in medical science.
Curare poison was to become the cornerstone of modern anaesthetics and went
on to provide the key to how we understand the nervous system, leading to
drugs as diverse as diarrhoea pills to Prozac, beta-blockers. More recently
it has led to our understanding of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In
this fascinating book Professor Stanley Feldman traces the evolution of a
substance that has saved countless lives and revolutionised the way we see
our minds and bodies.
