Summary:
- During the Middle Ages, poisons were commonly used for a variety of purposes, including assassination, warfare, and even medicine.
- Common poisons included arsenic, mercury, and various plant-based toxins, which were often difficult to detect and could be easily disguised in food or drink.
- While the use of poisons was widespread, the understanding of their effects and the development of antidotes was limited, leading to many accidental poisonings and deaths.