The toxic plants and substances evoked here (tobacco, opiates, distillation and fermentation products) have been known for centuries as products of pleasure and/or universal remedies. Their consumption as products of pleasure increased in the 19th century with the emergence of new tastes and uses. But when the medical science discovered their dangerous toxicity both for an individual’s body and mind and for a nation they were regarded as poisons. Their toxicity however lies more in the way they are used than in themselves.