Overdosing on Fake Medicine
This poisoning case is only strange because of the medical quackery underlying it. In June, doctors in Germany reported that a patient of theirs had overdosed on a homeopathic remedy derived from the belladonna plant. He developed confusion, anxiety, slurred speech, and ataxia (the loss of muscle control and coordination).
Homeopathic drugs, for those not in the know, are alleged to work by diluting a substance in water to the point where virtually none of the original substance remains. The “memory” of the water, which can be taken as is or dropped onto a pill, is then responsible for the claimed effects of the treatment. This is, of course, absolute bunk that should have been left behind in the 18th century when it was first “discovered.” Most of the time, they’re just a fancy-sounding placebo, but sometimes, these barely regulated products can actually carry enough real poison to cause some harm. Thankfully, this man’s illness was brief, and he recovered with no lasting issues.
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