Book excerpt: With the 16th and 17th Century outbreaks of the Plague, came the arrests and executions of many hospital workers who were accused of conspiring to spread the disease. "Plagues, Poisons and Potions" contains a detailed study of this fascinating phenomenon associated with the Plague. It examines the courts and the part played by torture, as well as considering the socio-economic conditions of the workers, highlighting an early modern form of 'class warfare'.