Books Reviews

The Arsenic Century – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Jun 9, 2010, 13:12 GMT

Arsenic is rightly infamous as the poison of choice for Victorian murderers. Yet the great majority of fatalities from arsenic in the nineteenth century came not from intentional poisoning, but from accident. Kept in many homes for the purpose of poisoning rats, the white powder was easily mistaken for sugar or flour and often incorporated into the family dinner. It was also widely present in green dyes, used to tint ...more

This is definitely not the sort of book you want to read around meal time; but it definitely makes intriguing reading.  It makes ideal reading matter for anyone interested in social or crime history, plus would be history/mystery writers. 

During Victorian times, arsenic was the murderer's favorite method of killing people - it was also known as the suicide's friend.  Easy to obtain and difficult to detect when added to food, arsenic was often used by poisoners from all walks of life. 

Yet one of the biggest problems faced by detectives was the fact that arsenic was so widely available, it was not always easy to distinguish between accidental and deliberate poisoning.  Arsenic was a key ingredient in green dyes used to tint everything from candles to sweets, curtains, wallpaper, ballgowns and other clothing. 

People could breathe in arsenic just by sitting in a newly decorated room, or going to a dance.  Adulteration of food was common as shown by the Bradford poisoning scandal.  Instead of substituting sugar with plaster of Paris to make sweets, Bradford confectioner Joseph Neal accidentally used arsenic in a batch of peppermint lozenges. 

Several people died as a result.  This book makes fascinating reading.  Whorton's research has been thorough, and the book includes accounts of many famous and lesser known examples such as the Maybrick case.  A book for dipping into, and reading in short bursts as it brings to life a hitherto little known aspect of Victorian life.