For centuries, many toxic plants have held a firm place in medicine, the pharmacopoeia and everyday life. Some have been used as remedies, others as poisons, whilst still others have provided molecules from which modern medicines have been developed.
Over time, medicine has gradually moved away from the direct use of many plant species, favouring isolated, dosable and controllable active ingredients. Yet the botanical risk has not disappeared: it has simply taken on a new form. Taking the flora of the Karst as its starting point, this session will explore the fine line between medicine and poison, explaining why it is still important to discuss botanical toxicology: from wild harvesting to misidentification, from contaminated commercial products to the misuse of plant-based preparations, right through to the most extreme cases of poisoning. Together with Elizabeth Visentin, we will embark on a journey through botany, the history of medicine, ethnobotany and the safe use of plant-based products, exploring some of the most fascinating and dangerous species of the Karst flora, to discover how the most insidious poison can sometimes be the very loss of botanical knowledge.
ORGANISATIONAL INFORMATION
Date: Sunday 19 July, 4.00 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Difficulty: open to all
Recommended kit: comfortable clothing
Participation fee: free of charge thanks to funding from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region
Booking: compulsory via the website https://rogos.it/