Even if an apothecary, cunning woman or gentlewoman did not work frequently with poisons, it was absolutely necessary for them to have a good understanding of which plants posed a danger. It is perhaps no surprise then that, historically, poison has been perceived as a woman’s weapon—in the simplest terms it is a weapon available to her. Women have long been portrayed as more duplicitous and conniving than men: well capable, if they choose, to plot the downfall of an enemy. In the seventeenth century women were marginalised, confined to a tiny number of occupations and socially acceptable roles. Midwives, cunning women, and gentlewomen in large houses all had the opportunity to become experts in the use of herbs – including poisons. How unsettling this must have been for those men most invested in maintaining power and control over the women in their lives. Violence against women was commonplace in early modern Britain. It was legally and culturally permissible for husbands to beat and rape their wives, and women had nowhere to go for help. A woman was expected to obey her husband, no matter what. When relations sour, it is no wonder that men start to wonder what their womenfolk might be up to with those herbs they know so much about. Apothecaries aside, herbal medicine was a woman’s domain. And knowledge is power.” - - #poison #toxicology #apothecary #thehemlockcure #poisonhemlock #thepoisonpath #poisonplants https://www.instagram.com/p/Ciz57VyLWlv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
