Before there was Sherlock Holmes and his trademark deerstalker cap, there was an English physician, Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle. And before that there was just plain old Arthur Conan Doyle, a student at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, and where we will begin. On September 20th, 1879 the British Medical Journal published a letter entitled “Gelseminum as … Continue reading
Homicidal poisonings are not nearly as common as people think or prime-time TV dramas would have you believe. The fact is, successfully poisoning someone takes work. One must first acquire the means to carry it out, which entails researching the poison and procuring it. Then a plan must be constructed so that the death appears … Continue reading
One of the hallmarks of strychnine is its extreme bitterness (click for a review of the science, history, and toxicity of strychnine). So bitter, in fact, that homicidal poisonings are difficult to pull off. But with enough sweeteners and other flavors to mask the taste it is possible, as history has shown us. And with … Continue reading
Just about everyone has heard of strychnine. It’s what I would call one of the “Classical Poisons”, in the same company as arsenic, cyanide, aconitine (Wolfsbane), coniine (Hemlock), and a few others. But if I had to choose a word to describe strychnine, I would call it “romantic.” I’m sure you’re scratching your head on … Continue reading
