Charles and Jenny meet up with the mysterious Colonel Clifford and his scientist friend, Miedel at their heavily-defended camp. It eventually transpires that the settlement is a 'pharmaceutical factory' where efforts are being made to manufacture medicines from natural resources. Pethidine is being synthesised as a substitute for morphine along with mushroom alkaloids and willow-bark compounds as pain-killers. "Drugs are now more important than gold ever was," Clifford explains to Charles.
Helpless in the face of the poisoning outbreak in A LITTLE LEARNING, Greg tries a little 'faith healing', and Mrs Butterworth reminds us that there is one ultimate solution to suffering should all else fail...
Bill Sheridan's homeopathic remedies prove invaluable in combating the ailments which abound in BRIDGEHEAD, and Janet Millon cleverly applies her veterinary skills to humans in REUNION. Frank Garner suggests dosing the stricken Alec Campbell with psychedelic fungi in SPARKS before finally settling on the pethidine remedy.
By resorting to what nature has to offer, our survivors find they can win through even in the absence of modern medical technology, and once more mankind's resourcefulness offers a hope for the future.
