Bezoar Stones: the Antidote to All Poisons

Abstract

Bezoars, which have played an important role in medicine since their discovery until the development of modern treatments, have been the subject of many questions and mysteries. According to some reports, bezoars were thought to be found in the head, stomach, or even the liver of some animals, as well as in their faeces. Other sources claimed that bezoars originated from deer eyes. Regardless of their origin, it is undeniable that for centuries, medicine has relied on these animal stones to treat poisoning symptoms and cure rabies. In my paper, I will lay out the origin and history of these mysterious materials with poison-absorbing properties. I will present the terms used to refer to items later known as bezoars in Sextus Placitus’s work De medicamentis ex animalibus libri. In addition, I will describe some intriguing characteristics of the many types of bezoars.