Potent Substances: on the Boundaries of Food and Medicine

The author of the Hippocratic treatise ‘Ancient Medicine’ deemed medicine a branch of food and highlighted culinary practice as foundational to medical knowledge and practice. Nonetheless, throughout history, there have been fierce debates over what exactly constitutes substances) and evidence about their effects. Potent Substances will engage historians, anthropologists, scientists and policy food and pharmacy. Three days will be devoted to the following sub Drugs for New; Boundaries and Expertise; and Arts and the Environment. The long aims are to offer policy and practice recommendations on the boundaries of food and pharmacy relevant to high priority current and likely future challenges, drawing on the interdisciplinary knowledge of the conference participants.