Poisoning Crimes and Forensic Toxicology Since the 18th Century

Abstract

The easy availability of deadly poisons in 19th-century Britain, Western Europe, and the United States led to widespread public anxiety about the prevalence of murder by poison, resulting in what might be termed a “poison panic.” The fear was fed by well-publicized reports of trials and executions which, though not especially numerous, seemed indicative of the dangerous incidence of a unique type of homicide, one that was particularly difficult to prevent or detect. As a result, poisoning crimes stimulated the development of the earliest medicolegal specialism, forensic toxicology, and consequently the careers of some of the best known expert witnesses of the Victorian era, including Mathieu Orfila, Alfred Swaine Taylor, Thomas Stevenson, and Theodore Wormley. This article traces the history of poisoning crimes and the related medico-scientific discipline of forensic toxicology using textbooks, key trials, and crime statistics to examine and evaluate their contribution to the historical development of forensic expertise and practice.

The Role of Forensic Laboratories in Proving Poison Murders in Indonesia

“…In fact, the use of poison in murder is not a new phenomenon; it has been occurring since ancient times. In 19th century England, Western Europe, and the United States, the crime of poisoning sparked the development of Medicolegal, Forensic Toxicology, and other Forensic Science (Watson, 2020). In poisoning cases, forensic exams are separated into two categories: determining the cause of death (Cyanide poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning, insecticide poisoning, and so on) and determining why the incident occurred (murder, road accidents, airline accidents, rape, and so on) (Aflanie et al, 2017).…”

Guest Editorial for Academic Forensic Pathology

“…Katherine D. Watson connects the early history of modern toxicology to the rising incidence of criminal poisoning during the mid-19th century. Out of this period emerged reliable tests for detecting arsenic and other toxins within the body as well as new recognition among courts and the public of toxicological expertise (10). In discussing the history of disaster victim identification in the United States, Vicki Daniel examines long-term shifts from identification practices rooted in family members or other acquaintances' viewing of the deceased (identification by "sight recognition") to a more sophisticated repertoire of procedures based on photography, fingerprinting, and dental identification (11).…”