Equally fascinating stories describe the extreme adventure of plant discoveries. One botanical scientist spent his entire career investigating the chemical responsible for killing thousands of people, making noses fall away from faces, and toes and fingers drop away from feet and arms. This occurred in the Middle Ages, and many people suffered horrific hallucinations and many were hung as they were thought to be possessed. The culprit was a simple fungus that grew on rye and caused blood vessels to constrict in humans; only dedicated botanical scientists would think about the promising medical potential of such a phenomenon, and they relentlessly pursued the chemicals involved for many years. It was thought that the chemical in the plant could, for example, help to stem excessive bleeding after childbirth Plant scientists thus sought to discover the chemical involed, and one man,a Dr Hofmann, was doing just that when one Friday he felt dizzy and set off home on his bicycle. Unknown to him he had indeed discovered the chemical, and small traces had been absorbed through his skin. The chemical was lysergic acid diethylamide-25, LSD for short-the most potent hallucinogenic ever discocered! The book rather matter-of-factly comments 'On his way home Dr Hofmann went on the world's first acid trip'.