History of Toxicology and Environmental Health ：Toxicology in Antiquity Volume I ( History of Toxicology and Environmental Health )

Publication subTitle ：Toxicology in Antiquity Volume I

Publication series ：History of Toxicology and Environmental Health

Author： Wexler   Philip  

Publisher： Elsevier Science‎

Publication year： 2014

E-ISBN: 9780128004630

P-ISBN(Paperback): 9780128000458

P-ISBN(Hardback):  9780128000458

Subject： R1 Preventive Medicine , Health;R99 Toxicology (Toxicology)

Language： ENG

Access to resources Favorite

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Description

Toxicology in Antiquity is the first in a series of short format works covering key accomplishments, scientists, and events in the broad field of toxicology, including environmental health and chemical safety. This first volume sets the tone for the series and starts at the very beginning, historically speaking, with a look at toxicology in ancient times. The book explains that before scientific research methods were developed, toxicology thrived as a very practical discipline. People living in ancient civilizations readily learned to distinguish safe substances from hazardous ones, how to avoid these hazardous substances, and how to use them to inflict harm on enemies. It also describes scholars who compiled compendia of toxic agents.

  • Provides the historical background for understanding modern toxicology
  • Illustrates the ways ancient civilizations learned to distinguish safe from hazardous substances, how to avoid the hazardous substances and how to use them against enemies
  • Details scholars who compiled compendia of toxic agents

Chapter

Front Cover

History of Toxicology and Environmental Health

Copyright Page

Toxicology in Antiquity

Contents

List of Contributors

Foreword

References

Preface to the Series and Volumes 1 and 2

1 Toxicology in Ancient Egypt

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Snakes as Described in the Brooklyn Papyrus

1.2.1 Snake Identification

1.2.2 Symptoms of Snakebite

1.2.3 Prognosis

1.2.4 Treatment

1.3 Scorpions

1.3.1 The Berlin Papyrus

1.4 Tetanus

1.5 Plant and Mineral Toxins

References

2 The Death of Cleopatra: Suicide by Snakebite or Poisoned by Her Enemies?

2.1 Cleopatra’s ancestry and historical background of the era

2.2 Cleopatra’s reign. Her downfall and her death

2.3 Epilogue

References

3 Mithridates of Pontus and His Universal Antidote

3.1 Influences

3.2 Pharmacological and Toxic Riches

3.3 Avoiding Assassination by Poison

3.4 The Secret Antidote

3.5 Mithridatium’s Legacy

References

4 Theriaca Magna: The Glorious Cure-All Remedy

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Theriac in Antiquity

4.3 Theriac in the Medieval Period

4.4 Theriac in the Renaissance

4.5 Conclusion

References

5 Nicander, Thêriaka, and Alexipharmaka: Venoms, Poisons, and Literature

5.1 The Thêriaka

5.2 The Alexipharmaka

5.3 The Nicandrean Question

5.4 Ancient Toxicology

5.5 Venoms, Poisons, and Art

Reference

6 Alexander the Great: A Questionable Death

6.1 Alexander’s Last Days

6.2 Modern Theories of Natural Causes

6.3 Modern Theories of Poisoning

6.4 The Styx River Poison Plot

References

7 Harmful Botanicals

7.1 Classical Toxicology

7.2 Sources and Data

7.3 Analysis

7.4 Conclusion

References

8 The Case Against Socrates and His Execution

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Historical Literature

8.3 Hemlock in Ancient Scientific Literature

8.4 Modern Pharmacological Analysis

8.5 Toward a Renewed Interpretation

8.6 Conclusion

References

9 The Oracle at Delphi: The Pythia and the Pneuma, Intoxicating Gas Finds, and Hypotheses

References

Recommended Reading

10 The Ancient Gates to Hell and Their Relevance to Geogenic CO2

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Why Enter the Realm of the Shadows?

10.2.1 The Souls of the Mortals

10.2.2 Incubation and Cure

10.2.3 Necromancy

10.2.4 The Gate for Chthonic Gods and Ghosts of the Darkness

10.3 The Geologic Background

10.3.1 Geogenic Gas Emission—Volcanoes, Faults, and Seismicity

10.3.2 Hot Water, Steam, and Geysers

10.4 The Physicochemical Properties of CO2

10.4.1 Carbon Dioxide is Difficult to Recognize

10.4.2 Carbon Dioxide Forms Gas Lakes

10.4.3 Carbon Dioxide Displaces Atmospheric Oxygen

10.4.4 Carbon Dioxide Forms an Acid

10.5 The Biological, Medical, and Physiological Background

10.6 Actual Gas Concentrations Around and Within Gates to Hell

10.7 The Known Sites of Ancient Gates to Hell

10.7.1 Italy (Magna Graecia)

10.7.1.1 The Phlegrean Fields (Campi Flegrei)

10.7.1.1.1 Lago Averno

10.7.1.1.2 Solfatara and Pisciarelli

10.7.1.2 Bullicame

10.7.1.3 Mefite D’Ansanto

10.7.1.4 Naftia

10.7.1.5 Lago di Pergusa

10.7.2 Greece

10.7.2.1 Eleusis—The Elysian Grotto

10.7.2.2 The Nekromanteion of Acheron-Ephyra

10.7.2.3 Cape Tainaron

10.7.3 Turkey–Asia Minor

10.7.3.1 Hierapolis

10.7.3.1.1 The Plutonium

10.7.3.1.2 The Temple of Apollo

10.7.3.2 Nysa and Acharaka

10.8 The Historical Relevance

Acknowledgment

References

11 Lead Poisoning and the Downfall of Rome: Reality or Myth?

11.1 The Lead Industry in Ancient Rome

11.1.1 Lead Production

11.1.2 Uses of Lead

11.2 Human Effects of Lead

11.2.1 Metabolic Effect

11.3 Clinical Picture of Lead Toxicity

11.4 Archaeological Determination of Lead Toxicity

11.5 Occurrence of Lead Toxicity

11.5.1 Sources of Toxicity

11.5.2 Proof of Lead Poisoning

11.5.2.1 Clinical Picture

11.5.2.2 Archeological Findings

11.6 Discussion

References

Recommended Reading

12 Poisons, Poisoners, and Poisoning in Ancient Rome

12.1 Sources

12.2 Poisons

12.3 Poisons Used

12.4 Incidents of Poisoning During the Roman Republic

12.5 Poisoners and Incidents of Poisoning During the Empire

12.5.1 Augustus (27 bc–14 ad)

12.5.2 Tiberius (14–37 ad)

12.5.3 Gaius (Caligula) (37–41 ad)

12.5.4 Claudius (41–54 ad)

12.5.5 Nero (54–68 ad)

12.5.6 The Flavian Dynasty (69–96 ad)

12.5.7 Hadrian (117–138 ad)

12.5.8 Commodus (180–192 ad)

12.5.9 Caracalla (211–217 ad)

12.6 Conclusion

References

The users who browse this book also browse


No browse record.