#posions

OK well- I’m not an expert on poisons by any means.

 My degree was in Chemistry and I’ve got strong interests in history and botany so I’m aware of a fair few poisons. I think I’ll have to keep this short and I’d advise looking for further sources because this isn’t…. really my expertise.

 And I held off answering this for a long time because- I do think it’s a genuine writing question. But I also know this information could be used to cause harm. And unlike the torture methods I talk about detailed descriptions of poisons aren’t particularly readily available.

 I worry that this could be used to significant cause harm.

 So- this is short. I’m sorry about that because I know you’ve waited a long time. I hope you understand that it’s as much as I feel comfortable publishing.

 I’d disagree that arsenic poisoning is ‘obvious’ especially in a historic setting. An autopsy, even at that time, might detect arsenic. But the symptoms of poisoning and the way it kills can be mistaken for a host of other conditions. It looks almost exactly like severe food poisoning. In historical times that could be lethal*.

 Gastrointestinal problems probably killed Alfred the Great of Wessex (the going theory is that he developed Crohn’s disease). These diseases effected every level of society and killed at every level of society.

 Compounds from other heavy metals such as lead and mercury were also well known and traded. Many are lethal and they bioaccumulate. Newton painted his room with one.

 But more generally? If you want something that seems unusual I’d suggest brushing up on botany.

 Whatever climate and country you’re planning to set your story in there will be common poisonous plants and fungi. In England some of these plants were cultivated for non-culinary purposes. Some of them are also really easy to mistake for common edible plants.

 A good foragers guide for the country you’re planning to set the story would be a good place to start looking. So are guides to wild native flora, for instance woodland planting guides or lists of native plants for shady areas.

 I’d suggest looking up physic gardens from the place and period. Alnwick Castle has an excellent poison garden though many of the plants are from the New World and some wouldn’t survive the climate without modern horticultural methods.

 As a final general note, everything leaves traces. If you’re looking for a real, historical, untraceable poison it probably doesn’t exist. Look instead for something people at the time could have mistaken for a common illness.

 I hope that helps. :)

 *My favourite arsenic based murder mystery is Sayers’ Strong Poison, which show cases just how often poisoning could be taken for natural sickness.

Availableon Wordpress.

21-year-old man allegedly posions his twin brother for money ritual (video)

A 21-year-old man was paraded round a community in one of the South-East states after allegedly poisoning his twin brother for money ritual.

He was however nabbed after his twin brother noticed that the stew had changed colour. The suspect reportedly confessed to poisoning his brother’s food for quick money, because he is tired of of suffering.

The suspect who was seen carrying the pot of food on…

The Book of Poison

While still working on the evil sabotage plot for the book, I am taking off time for Halloween. Seems the two work nicely hand in hand…. evil and scary…. This year’s Halloween came more around crafts and fixing older Halloween props that over the years have taken some damage. While looking at various crafts for Halloween decoration ideas I came across sites that show how to make various spooky…