At a time when alcohol was not only king but criminal as well, mercury, methanol, radium and even the drink (ethanol) itself killed thousands in New York City. Poisons were easy to come by but hard to prove in a court of law. Forensic medicine was new and difficult to explain to a jury. Why was this proof any more true than what the defense was saying against scientific evidence? As chemists became ever more driven to stop chemical criminals, prohibition itself seemed criminal enough for all the lives it took.
My favorite section was Radium. Marie Curie, one of the most respected woman scientists in history couldn't have known the harm her discoveries would bring. She was never without a sample in her pocket to show off to fellow scientists, a lovely, fascinating compound. So useful it was turned into "self-luminous" paint for the dials on watches. Women who painted the dials were equally fascinated and unafraid of radium. Not only did the women sharpen the paintbrushes with their mouths, Blum explains, "They sprinkled the luminous liquid in their hair to make their curls twinkle in the dark. They brightened their fingernails with it. One girl covered her teeth to give herself a Cheshire cat smile when she went home at night." Little did they know the substance would crumble their bones and cause leukemia.
I loved every moment of reading this book. Although it isn't a complete history of Prohibition, forensics, or any one character, it gives enough to get the reader involved in the story and excited about the science. My one wish for this book would be a set of full color images in the middle to go along with some of the tales. In fact, I was intrigued enough to look up one gruesome image described in the book taken by a sneaky photographer in an execution room. Those snapshots would have been a wonderful addition to the stories.
This book speaks to many audiences and is open enough for even the most novice science readers. Think of this book as a literary episode of 1920's CSI. The Poisoner's Handbook reads like fiction and is even greater because of its truth. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a well spun tale.
