Pain, Pus and Poison

Pain is all in the brain. When we pull a muscle, millions of nerve cells release chemicals telling us it hurts.

Ancient treatments of infections such as The Black Death and early 29th century influenza ranged from using leeches to suck out blood to performing strange magical rituals, but nothing stopped the infections - until the discovery of antibiotics.

Poisons in the natural world kill thousands of people every year, yet some poisons can save lives; like curare and mustard gas, the hunt is on for other poisons that can actually help to cure.