About half of all the medicines prescribed by doctors are not taken by their patients. One of the reasons commonly given by patients is that they feel unhappy about taking medicines that they do not understand, and of which they are afraid. This book attempts to rectify this problem by showing in clear, non-technical language how medicines and other drugs work in the body to reduce the effects of disease. The chapters in Pills, Potions, and Poisons include fascinating background information about how some of our most important drugs were discovered, along with intriguing and often amusing anecdotes about the drugs and the people behind their discovery. Each chapter also includes a summary of the key points together with illustrations, photographs, and diagrams to summarize the main groups and how they work in the body. The book covers all the major groups of drugs, with complete listings of all drugs available in the UK and in the USA, so that the reader can locate his or her specific drug and read about the actions of drugs in that group. The various chapters cover drugs used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, ulcers, cancers, infections, impotence, incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, as well as HRT, oral contraceptives, and drugs used in disorders of the brain such as schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy. There is also a chapter on drugs such as cannabis, alcohol, nicotine, and ecstasy, and a chapter covering some of the poisons we encounter such as carbon monoxide, arsenic, sheep dip, and the venoms of snakes, spiders, scorpions, and marine organisms. Here is a fascinating survey of how chemicals have their effects in the body. Both an entertaining read and a valuable reference source, Pills, Potions and Poisons will help to improve your health and the quality of your life.