Special Features
- Photo Gallery: Poison in Common Products
- Timeline: Chemistry and Forensic Science in America
- Preview: Poisoner's Handbook Preview
- Bonus Video: What is Tales From the Poisoner's Handbook?
- Further Reading: Related Books and Websites
- Interactive: Tales from the Poisoner's Handbook
In the early 20th century, the average American medicine cabinet was a would-be poisoner's treasure chest, with radioactive radium, thallium, and morphine in everyday products. The pace of industrial innovation increased, but the scientific knowledge to detect and prevent crimes committed with these materials lagged behind until 1918. New York City's first scientifically trained medical examiner, Charles Norris, and his chief toxicologist, Alexander Gettler, turned forensic chemistry into a formidable science and set the standards for the rest of the country.
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Radium used to be an ingredient in face creams. Thallium was in depilatory lotions. Arsenic was in rat poison -- until relatively recently! What chemical ingredients are in your household products? Share your story with American Experience!