James Garrison Garrison 1
Mr Tripp Sanders
11th grade
5/8/2016
The Poisoner’s Handbook
Introduction
The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum describes jazz age new york as a series of different poison murders are investigated and solved thanks to the contributions of new york's medical examiner and his staff.
The Poisons Throughout this book several poisons are discussed, all of which are extremely deadly. Arsenic, Mercury, Cyanide, Radium, and Thallium are all poisonous elements described in The Poisoner’s Handbook. Hydrogen Cyanide, Sodium Cyanide, and Potassium Cyanide all shut down the body's ability to absorb oxygen. arsenic and white arsenic…show more content… Mors worked at a nursing home, witnesses there believed that he would kill patents that complained too much or annoyed him. Mors was sent to the Hudson River State Hospital for the Insane and he, upon discovering that he was scheduled for deportation, escaped. Chapter four describes a mass poisoning at the Shelbourne Restaurant and bakery. Sixty people had been hospitalized and six of those had died. They had all eaten pie that had been poisoned by arsenic. Chapter eight describes a trend in which radium, a highly radioactive element believed to have healing properties, is sold to the public, unknowing about the dangers, in bottles of radium water, radium candy, and radium face cream.
Availability of these poisons For a long time many poisons in this book were found in many household items. Chloroform was used as an anesthetic instead of ethers, cyanides were often used in pesticides, explosives, and engravings. Many consumers, not knowing of the harmful effects of radiation poisoning, bought radium water in hopes it would better their health.The studies don by Norris, Gettler, and many other chemists helped expand the world's knowledge of these poisons and their effects on humans and saved countless lives.
The Beginnings of Forensic…show more content… Charles Norris was born on December 4, 1867 in Hoboken, New Jersey. He received his doctorate of medicine from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1892. After being appointed as chief medical examiner, norris had to hire a staff to assist him, one of whom was Alexander Gettler. The mayor had previously cut the medical examiner's budget, because of this norris had to pay for much of his supplies himself. Norris even had to pay his staff himself. Norris immediately began making changes to how homicides were handled. He demanded that desk lieutenants in police precincts automatically call his office whenever homicide or suspicious
