Pharmakon

NLM History of Medicine lecture

"The Venoms Doo Cure the Diseases": Separating Poison and Medicine in Early Modern Europe.

Wednesday, 26 September 
 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
 Lister Hill Auditorium, National Library of Medicine, 
Building 38A, Bethesda, MD

Frederick W. Gibbs, PhD
George Mason University

Contemporary notions of poison and medicine obscure their rich history, particularly how physicians debated their respective definitions and relationship to each other. Drawing on natural philosophy, natural history, botany, and pharmacology, this talk explores how early modern physicians defended and transcended the boundaries between medicine and poison in both medical theory and practice. It also outlines how physicians first began to investigate the intimate relationships between poison, contagion, and disease, and the role of poison as a motive force in reshaping medical thinking.

All are welcome.

Sign language interpretation is provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to participate may contact Stephen Greenberg at 301-435-4995, e-mail greenbes@mail.nih.gov, or the Federal Relay (1-800-877-8339).

Due to current security measures at NIH, off-campus visitors are advised to consult the NLM Visitors and Security website:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/visitor.html

Sponsored by
NLM's History of Medicine Division
Jeffrey S. Reznick, PhD, Chief

Event contact:
Stephen J. Greenberg, MSLS, PhD
Coordinator of Public Services
History of Medicine Division
National Library of Medicine, NIH
301-435-4995
greenbes@mail.nih.gov