The Bizarre Cure Isaac Newton Swore Could Defeat the Bubonic Plague—Made From Toad Vomit
Imagine Isaac Newton—not just the gravity guy, but a college student in 1665 London, obsessing over the bubonic plague during one of its deadliest outbreaks. What’s wild? The same mind that cracked the laws of motion was jotting down a cure involving… wait for it… powdered toads and their vomit. Yes, you read that right. While avoiding plague-ridden spots was sensible enough, Newton’s toad-tastic remedy sounds like something straight out of a medieval apothecary diary. Ever wonder what legendary scientists dream up when they’re stuck at home during a pandemic? Dive into the fascinating, slightly bizarre world of Newton’s plague notes—a testament to the fact that even geniuses can entertain some truly quirky ideas when faced with a crisis. And hey, if toad powder could ward off contagions, why not give it a shot? Or maybe just stick to hand-washing. LEARN MORE
Isaac Newton was still a student when an outbreak hit London in 1665 — and he became obsessed with the disease.
Wikimedia CommonsThe recipe included a toad that had been dead for three days and then turned into powder.
English mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton is most famous for discovering the theory of gravity.
But a couple of documents show that the 17th-century genius also believed that powdered toad and toad vomit could treat those infected with the bubonic plague.
Newton’s bizarre cure was scrawled across two pages of unpublished notes he had taken on Jan Baptist van Helmont’s 1667 book about the plague, De Peste. The notes detail how Newton believed that “places infected with the plague are to be avoided.” This observation itself was rather rational, but his cure for infection was less so.
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