The inheritor's powder
Subtitle: a cautionary tale of poison, betrayal and greed
By: Sandra Hempel
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; Orion Publishing Group, Limited
Published: 2013
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 279
ISBN-13: 9780297867425; 9780297870357
Subjects: Forensic toxicology; Trials (Poisoning); Case studies; Poisoners; Poisoning; Toxicology; Arsenic; Toxicity; History
Description: This is the story of how an infamous murder case led to the birth of modern toxicology. In the 19th century criminal poisoning with arsenic was frighteningly easy. For a few pence and with few questions asked, it was possible to buy enough poison to kill off an entire family, hence arsenic's popular name: the Inheritor's Powder. Yet if poisoning was easy, it was a notoriously difficult crime to prove.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-268) and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: 1.The Big Square House in the Village; title: 2.A Great Chain and Dependency of Things; title: 3.Death by Toad or Insect; title: 4.That Good and Pious Man; title: 5.There's Not Much in Dying; title: 6.A Great Degree of Inquietude; title: 7.Corroborative Proof as to the Deleterious Article; title: 8.Those Low Incompetent Persons; title: 9.A Very Active Constable; title: 10.The Introduction of Irritating Matter; title: 11.I Never Saw Two Things in Nature More Alike; title: 12.She Would Not Risk Her Soul into Danger; title: 13.Oh My Poor Mother; title: 14.From the Very Brink of Eternity; title: 15.The Sequel of These Proceedings; title: 16.What if the Chymist Should Be Mistaken?; title: 17.The Freezing Influence of Official Neglect.