Poison Arrows

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. No story was more astonishing than that of the mystical properties of the substance with which the natives anointed their darts and arrows. The name of the poison was Curare. This is the incredible story of how the poison became the cornerstone of modern anaesthetics and has provided the key to how we understand the nervous system, leading to drugs as diverse as diarrhoea pills to Prozac. 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.

Stanley Feldman is Professor of Anaesthetics at the Charing Cross and Westminster Medical Schools. He has lectured all over the world on anaesthetics and other related subjects. Poison Arrows is his first popular science book.