The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Books
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Amazon Exclusive: Author Deborah Blum’s Top Ten Poisons
On a recent radio show, I heard myself telling the host “And carbon monoxide is such a excellent poison.” We both ongoing laughing–there’s just something about a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist waxing enthusiastic about something so lethal. But then he became curious–“Why?” he questioned. “Why do you like it so much?”
These days, as I travel the people talking about The Poisoner’s Handbook, I’m frequently questioned that question or variations on it. What’s your favorite poison? What’s the perfect poison? The resolution to the latter is that it doesn’t exist–except in the plots of crime novels.
But in reality, poisons really are fascinatingly wicked chemical compounds and many of them have fascinating histories as well. Just between us, then, here’s a list of my private favorites.
1. Carbon Monoxide (really)–It’s so perfectly simple (just two atoms–one of carbon, one of oxygen) and so amazingly well-organized a killer. There’s a tale I tell in the book about a murder syndicate trying to kill an amazingly resilient victim. They try everything from serving him poison alcohol to running over him with a car. But in the end, it’s carbon monoxide that does him in.
2. Arsenic–This used to be the murderer’s poison of poisons, so commonly used in the early 19th century that it was nicknamed “the inheritance powder”. It’s also the first poison that forensic scientists really figured out how to detect in a corpse. And it stays in the body for centuries, which is why we keep digging up historic figures like Napoleon or U.S. President Zachary Taylor to check their remains for poison.
3. Radium–I like the fact that this rare radioactive element used to be considered excellent for your health. It was mixed into medicines, face creams, health drinks in the 1920s. People plotting of it like a tiny glowing sun that would give them its power. Boy, were they incorrect. The two scientists in my book, Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler, proved in 1928 that the bones of people exposed to radium became radioactive–and stayed that way for years.
4. Nicotine–This was the first plant poison that scientists learned to detect in a human body. Just an incredible case in which a French aristocrat and her spouse resolute to kill her brother for money. They really stewed up tobacco leaves in a barn to brew a nicotine potion. And their amateur chemical experiments inspired a very determined professional chemist to hunt them down.
5. Chloroform–Developed for surgical anesthesia in the 19th century, this rapidly became a favorite tool of home invasion robbers. If you read newspapers nearly the turn of the 20th century, they’re full of accounts of people who answered a knock on the door, only to be knocked out by a chloroform soaked rag. One woman woke up to find her hair shaved off–undoubtedly sold for the lucrative wig trade.
6. Mercury–In its pure state, mercury appears as a bright silver liquid, which scatters into shiny droplets when touched. No wonder it’s nicknamed quicksilver. People used to drink it as a medicine more than 100 years ago. No, they didn’t drop dead. Those silvery balls just slid aptly through them. Mercury is much more poisonous if it’s mixed with other chemicals and can be absorbed by the body directly. That’s why methylmercury in fish turns out to be so risky a contaminant.
7. Cyanide–One of the most well-known of the homicidal poisons and–in my attitude–not a particularly excellent choice. Yes, it’s amazingly lethal–a teaspoon of the pure stuff can kill in a few minutes. But it’s a violent and evident death. In early March, in fact, an Ohio doctor was convicted of murder for putting cyanide in his wife’s vitamin supplements.
8. Aconite–A heart-stoppingly deadly natural poison. It forms in ornamental plants that include the blue-flowering monkshood. The ancient Greeks called it “the queen of poisons” and considered it so evil that they believed that it derived from the saliva of Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the gates of hell.
9. Silver–Swallowing silver nitrate probably won’t kill you but if you do it long enough it will turn you blue. One of my favorite tales (involving a silver bullet) concerns the Well-known Blue Man of Barnum and Bailey’s Circus who was analyzed by one of the heroes of my book, Alexander Gettler.
10. Thallium–Agatha Christie place this poison at the heart of one of her creepiest mysteries, The Pale Horse, and I looked at it terms of a murdered family in real life. An element exposed in the 19th century, it’s a perfect homicidal poison–tasteless and odorless–except for one evident giveaway–the victim’s hair falls out as a result of the poisoning!
Now that I’ve written this list, I realize I may possibly probably name ten more. But I don’t want to scare you.
–Deborah Blum
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After reading the review for “The Poisoner’s Handbook” I was intrigued and keen to read it. I like history, but have a hard time reading non-fiction for leisure unless it’s written energetically with a narrative spin (like “Economic Hitman”, “In Cold Blood”, “Devil in the White City”, etc.) I plotting “Poisoner’s Handbook” would be a fantastic read; murders by poison in the 1920s sounded like an intriguing and exciting theme. BUT. In some way the author made it dull. And the in rank is arranged poorly. The writing is not fantastic; I couldn’t tell if they were trying to infuse suspense into events that were really not very exciting, or if they were really enthusiastic about the tale and their research, but just lacked storytelling and/or writing talent. I have a feeling that a different author may possibly take the same theme matter and write a fantastic book. But this one is certainly a pass.
Rating: 2 / 5
I loved this book! Each chapter chronicles a poison,cases where it was exposed ,effects,
the NY medical examiner’s office efforts to thwart further poisoner’s attempts. What heroes!
The writing flows,is fascinating without being extremely technical or overly simplistic and educates even as it entertains. The insights into Proscription were fascinating.
Rating: 5 / 5
There’s been an explosion of interest in the profession of medical examiner and crime scene investigation. With the CSI shows, the Law and Order franchise, NCIS, and Cold Case among other TV run, people have become fascinated by the art and science of forensic pathology.
_The Poisoner’s Handbook_ is a wonderfully written and truly fascinating look at how the New York City Medical Examiners practically made the discipline of forensic pathology through the identification of poisons that caused deaths, and the deaths caused by methyl alcohol during Proscription.
The book read more like a novel than a treatise, although it was evident that the scholarship was impeccable.
If you have any interest in forensic pathology, or the history of science you’ll be enthralled, repelled, and ensorcelled by this book. You will really like it.
I read it in one sitting, all night. I don’t regret the lack of sleep.
Rating: 5 / 5
the author has received the pulitzer prize, i read. i’m not surprised. she mixes the nuts and bolts of scientific discovery with bounty of right crime tales directly correlated to the theme material. i just kept turning the pages and finished in two days. not everyone will like this book, but i certainly did. we owe so much from the persistent determination of Charles Norris and the other magnificent forensic scientists whose work makes our life today so much safer. i will be looking to read the author’s other works.
i wish i may possibly email her directly. alas.
Rating: 5 / 5
“The Poisoner’s Handbook” focuses on the work of Dr. Charles Norris as chief medical examiner in New York City, appointed in 1918, and his assistant, toxicologist Dr. Alexander Gettler. The two were appointed after a scandalous string of unqualified and unmotivated personages in those positions that had led to the guilty getting away with murder. Poisons were then an simple route to a perfect crime. Dr. Norris was not only well-qualified, he was also able to fund a extensive quantity of his laboratory’s equipment needs, and had the drive to fire those who were incompetent. Norris also convinced the mayor to hire stenographers to make minutes and files so that testimony may possibly be based on recorded in rank rather than notes, and needled police and city attorney leadership to cooperate better with his own office.
The bulk of the book is taken up with actual cases solved by the new team and their staff, as well as providing basic scientific background on the chemicals and tests caught up. In some instances, frustration with initial test limitations drove Dr. Gettler to extensive research to improve the detection of poisons, as well as publishing papers to build credibility in front of juries. The book groups these cases by type of poison and year of occurrence.
An fascinating sidelight within the book is the revelation of how Proscription led to increased violence and deaths due to use of wood alcohol as a use instead, but failed to reduce arrests for broadcast drunkenness.
Bottom-Line: “The Poisoner’s Handbook” clearly illustrates the skill and hard work of both Dr. Norris and Gettler, undoubtedly mirrored by their current successors.
Rating: 4 / 5