FYI: Prussic Acid

[goddessoftheclassroom]

From the CDC:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MHMI/mmg8.html

If it was Lizzie who had tried to buy it, and if she had succeeded, I think she would have poisoned herself with the volatile fumes since it was so hot.

Arsenic would have been much easier to obtain, as Madeleine Smith knew.

[augusta]

That's true, goddess. From my readings on it, which have not been a tremendous lot, my understanding is that it was very dangerous just to handle. I would think if Lizzie was aiming for prussic acid, she was ill informed about it and didn't realize how dangerous it was.

I think she did try to get it, tho.

The Bordens had the classic symptoms of a small dose of arsenic poisoning. And as far as their stomachs being analyzed and them finding no corrosion, most of the arsenic would have been excreted by their bodies when they were "sick" Tuesday night into Wednesday. A small dose need not have shown up at all. I don't even know if a small dose would show up today if someone just had a little one time and was sick.

I think with the arsenic, Lizzie again was not well schooled in how to use it. You can either give little doses, which will all mount up, after a period of time. Or you can give one massive dose which will kill them that day. I don't know if they knew these things about arsenic in Lizzie's day. But this, and her possibly trying to use prussic acid, leads me to believe that Dr. Bowen was not in on this crime. His shock factor on the day of the murders alone was pretty convincing to me that it was a total surprise, and I'd think he would have given Lizzie at least some advice on the poisons, which she seemed to meddle with as a real amateur.

[Allen]

One thing I've always found interesting is the fact that swallowing tobacco was considered by some to be a cure for arsenic poisoning at one time. I found this interesting in light of the fact that among the items found on Andrew at the time of his death was a small amount of tobacco. Another cure involved "...repeatedly drinking very fat mutton broth..."

The Southern Gardner and Receipt Book written in 1845 by P. Thornton- page 288:

ANTIDOTE FOR POISON BY ARSENIC

Salad or olive oil taken warm, and repeated occassionally, will infallibly prevent any bad consequences, if the arsenic has not been taken very long before. It is the true antidote for arsenic, and should immediately be made use of, as soon as it is discovered that any person has swallowed it by mistake or otherwise. A gentle vomit given just after taking it, and then repeatedly drinking very fat mutton broth, will effectually cure it; by this method, Sir Hans Sloane saved the life of a young man, who, at his house at Chelsea, had drank a quantity of milk, into which arsenic had been put to poison rats.


page 299:

A REMEDY FOR ARSENIC.

Tobacco is said to be an infalllible preventative against the fatal effects of arsenic, when taken into the stomach. In several instances where tobacco juice was swallowed after taking arsenic, no sickness resulted from the use of the tobacco and not the least harm from the arsenic. This is an important discovery.

[Harry]

VERY interesting information, Allen! Thank you.

That opened package of chewing tobacco found on Andrew has always been a mystery to me. I can't believe he normally chewed tobacco.

[augusta]

Good post, Allen.

Maybe someone suggested to Andrew to have some chewing tobacco to help his stomach upset.

Someone posted before that the tobacco found in his pocket when he was killed might have belonged to someone else that was in the room.

Maybe he found it and didn't want it to go to waste, so he pocketed it like the old lock.

I agree with Harry. I can't imagine Andrew using it. But I don't remember anyone testifying that he didn't use it.