An Engaging Popular Science Book: Venomous
"Using poison to attack poison" is an important therapeutic method in traditional Chinese medicine. From ancient times to the present, Chinese physicians have been exploring the therapeutic effects of poisons on diseases; many toxic substances are highly effective Chinese medicines, such as Scolopendra (centipede), Scorpio (scorpion), Mylabris (blister beetle), Aconiti Carmichaeli (Chuanwu), Aconiti Kusnezoffii (Caowu), and Typhonii Rhizoma (Baifuzi).
In fact, it was not only the physicians of ancient China who studied the medicinal value of poisons; physicians of other peoples had also explored the therapeutic effects of poisons long ago.
But it is only in recent decades that humankind has studied poisons as a discipline. The American biologist Christie Wilcox was curious about venomous jellyfish from childhood, and as an adult made toxins her research direction. Christie Wilcox wrote a book, Venomous: How Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry (Chinese translation titled Youdu: Cong Zhiming Wuqi Dao Jiuming Jieyao, published by Beijing United Publishing Co.), which recounts in detail the history of human research on toxins.
The first time I read this book, I felt it was refreshing. Previously, when I studied the therapeutic effects of "poison-attacking-poison" medicines in Chinese materia medica, I had only stayed at the level of "knowing that it is so," without reaching the realm of "knowing why it is so." But after reading this book, I gained an understanding of "knowing why it is so" regarding "using poison to attack poison."
Of course, this understanding is still only superficial; to more deeply grasp the principles by which each poison treats disease, one must conduct more in-depth research on specific drugs.
Toxinology is an interdisciplinary field with few researchers; those who study toxin science as deeply as Christie Wilcox are few and far between worldwide. Christie Wilcox's book was listed by Smithsonian magazine as an outstanding popular science book of 2016. The writing is vivid and engaging; the author introduces readers to toxin science through one delightful story after another, with content that is accessible yet fascinating.
I first read this book in 2020, when I bought it. Five years later, I read it a second time and was still drawn in; I read it through in one sitting again, and after finishing I had a deeper understanding of toxin science.
In the writings of Mr. Jin Yong, there are many masters skilled in using poison, such as the "Poison-Handed Medicine King" and Wang Nangu, but those characters are fictional jianghu experts. In reality, there have also been remarkable real people who tested poisons on themselves. Some use snake venom long-term to raise their own immunity; some fearlessly endure bee stings to explore the therapeutic effects of bee venom; some study a particular venomous animal (such as jellyfish or the platypus) over a long period to understand the relationship between the secrets of toxin synthesis and biological evolution.
It is through the exploration of these people that toxin science has gradually developed. Many human diseases may ultimately depend on toxins for treatment; for example, the highly toxic substance arsenic trioxide is the nemesis of a certain type of leukemia.
But while toxic substances have the effect of treating disease, they can also easily produce fatal consequences. So from ancient times to the present, we have been cautious and careful in using poisons to treat disease. I suggest friends who are interested in poisons and medicines take the time to read Venomous: How Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry to understand the principles by which poisons treat disease. Perhaps some idea in the book may bring us unexpected inspiration.