In the 1930s and 40s, amateur explorers and hardened plant hunters combed the Amazon in a race to unlock the secrets of curare, an Indigenous poison they hoped could cure many diseases. The poison they brought north had a major impact on the practice of medicine as it became routinely used in shock therapy to treat psychiatric disorders, transformed anesthesia and surgery across the globe, and led to a Swiss scientist’s Nobel prize. Drawing on thousands of pages of archival documents and hours of oral histories and interviews, O’Hara brings to life this epic quest, a stranger-than-fiction story that moves from Indigenous lands in the Amazon to rogue medical trials to cutthroat strategizing in corporate boardrooms. He also poses searching questions about who receives the glory and profit when medical progress is made, and who pays the price.

Matt O’Hara is professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is the author or editor of four books on the history of Latin America. This talk draws on his forthcoming book for which he was named a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar.

Questions? Please contact University Events at specialevents@ucsc.edu.

Slugs and Steins are free informal lectures served up over Zoom. Brought to you by the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association, each talk will engage one of our favorite professors in discussion with you, the local community of Silicon Valley, and beyond. We will cover everything from organic artichokes to endangered zebras, self-driving cars to Shakespeare. All are welcome. Audience participation is encouraged.

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