King of Poisons: A History of Arsenic

Product Description For centuries, arsenic?s image as a poison has been inextricably tied to images of foul play. Now, medical historian John Parascandola takes readers through the history of this deadly element in King of Poisons. From Dorothy Sayers to Gustave Flaubert, arsenic has long held a place in the literary realm as an instrument of murder and suicide. It was delightfully used as a source of comedy in the famous play Arsenic and Old Lace. But as Parascandola shows, arsenic has had a number of surprising real-world applications. For centuries, it was found in such common items as wallpaper, paint, cosmetics, and even candy, and its use in medical treatments was widespread. From murder to crime fiction, from industrial toxin to chemical warfare, arsenic remains a powerful force in modern life. Review [King of Poisons] offers a comprehensive historical review of arsenic poisoning both intentional and accidental, one that is based on thorough research and given an engaging presentation.--James Whorton,Pharmacy in HistoryFrom murder in fact and fiction to modern medicine--by way of taxidermy, food, wallpaper, drinking water, toxic wood, and much else besides--this wide-ranging, well-researched, and engagingly written book offers a fascinating overview of the social impact of arsenic, the perennially useful but always dangerous king of poisons. There is something here for everyone --historians, scientists, and those who just want a good read. Highly recommended.--Katherine Watson, author ofPoisoned Lives: English Poisoners and Their Victims andForensic Medicine in Western Society: A HistoryJohn Parascandola has taken us on a fascinating and illuminating journey about the historical paradox of arsenic in life, health, and death.--Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, former surgeon general of the United StatesThe author has done a wonderful job of presenting to the readers an easily readable and well-researched discussion of this elemental weapon of murder. Throughout history arsenic has not only been the number-one substance used in criminal poisoning, but is the first substance that comes to their minds of most people when they hear murder by poison.--John H. Trestrail III, director, Center for the Study of Criminal PoisoningTheres no poison with a longer, darker, more fascinating history than arsenic. And in his bookKing of Poisons, John Parascandola tells its story in compelling detail, from famous murders to chemical warfare. The result is an addictively readable look at one of the important--and definitely one of the most dangerous--elements on Earth.--Deborah Blum, author ofThe Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York About the Author John Parascandola received his PhD in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later served as the chief of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine and as the Public Health Service historian. The author ofThe Development of American Pharmacology (1992) andSex, Sin, and Science: A History of Syphilis in America (2008), he is currently a historical consultant and teaches courses in the history of modern biology and of poisons at the University of Maryland. He lives in Rockville, Maryland.