pharmakon:

noun

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The ancient Greek word meaning both poison and medicine, this term can also refer to a spell, a curse, or simply the concept of magic itself.

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​Medicine, in the wrong hands, can turn deadly; and so it goes that poison, in the right hands, can be lifesaving. The roots of such a concept go deep--so much so, in fact, that our modern English words "pharmacy," "pharmacist," and so on and so forth still bear its enchanted name, uttered millennia ago by centaurs, giants, and even gods.

 

One term derived from its vine--"pharmakeus"--has been made obscure in our modern times, but its meaning is still apparent: magician or sorcerer. These were much-feared figures in Greek legend with the power of transformation, ritual sacrifice, and witchcraft.

 

But what makes medicine scary? Well... as the old saying goes, the dose makes the poison. Treatments can harm you; toxins can heal. It's all in how they're used, and by whom, and for what purpose. ​

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And so we challenge you, as we collectively pivot into our fourth issue, to reflect on that razor's edge between hurt and help. Shall you write about a bad drug trip? A miraculous recovery? Men turning into pigs, demigods into sea monsters? Send in your remedies, your maladies, and everything in between.