Arsenic: The king of poisons that has a murderous history
Have you watched the Alia Bhatt starrier 2018 movie Raazi? , a 2018 film starring Alia Bhatt. If so, you might recall how she used poison to kill her brother-in-law just as he was about to learn her secret (she was an Indian spy sent to Pakistan). Well, poisoning people to death has a long history. Since early times, people have been using poisons to end disputes, rise to power, kill criminals and even end their own lives. One such poison extensively used through ages for murder is arsenic. Let’s take a look at its properties, discovery and murderous history.
A sneak peek into the world of arsenic
You must be wondering how this dangerous poison looks like. Mostly, it’s a shiny, grey, brittle solid with a metallic look. Sometimes, it also comes in the form of a yellow crystalline solid. Arsenic occurs abundantly in nature. You can find it in soil, rocks, water, and air and human beings are exposed to this poison through contaminated air, water and food. But how does arsenic appear in nature? Usually as a compound. Arsenic compounds are obtained as by-products when silver is mined and purified and also from volcanic eruptions. What’s more, it has both metallic and non-metallic properties.
Discovery of arsenic
Since the ancient times, arsenic compounds have been in use in Greece and Rome. Physicians and poisoners mostly took resort to it. In fact, historical evidences suggest that mineral forms of arsenic were known to mankind as early as the 4th century BC. But arsenic reigned as the king of poisons in Rome throughout the Middle Ages (late 5th to the late 15th century) and the Renaissance (15th-16th century). Interestingly, detailed description of the preparation of the metallic form of this poison has been found in the writings of Paracelsus, a Swiss physician and alchemist (a person who studied the chemistry of transforming ordinary metals in the medieval ages) from the Middle Ages. He obtained nearly pure arsenic after heating one of its common compounds. Though alchemists are known to have recognised arsenic first during the Middle Ages, the man who is credited with the discovery of this chemical compound is German bishop and scientist Albertus Magnus around 1250.
Used through history as weapon for murder
In the Rennaissant Italy, poison was intrinsically associated with politics. Do you know that were professional poisoners in Italy back then? One of them was Giulia Tofana (also spelled Toffana, Tophana) who killed hundreds of men during the 17th with arsenic. She used to make cosmetics laced with arsenic for women trapped in bad marriages, who planned to get rid of their wedlock by murdering their husbands. Now, that is dangerous, isn’t it? There was another woman during the same time in Italy who also used to do the same. Her name? Hieronyma Spara. She used to teach young married women the methods of using arsenic for homicidal purposes.
The House of Borgia, a Spanish family that established itself in Italy and rose to political prominence during the 15th and 16th centuries is also infamous for poisoning people to death using arsenic. The members of the family, Pope Alexander VI, born as Rodrigo Borgia, his son Cesare Borgia and daughter Lucrezia Borgia are known to take the lives of their guests by mixing arsenic in wine. But why would they do so? Well, it was greed! Following the death of their visitors, Borgias would become owners of all the wealth and property of their guests!
What makes arsenic the king of poison
Arsenic lacks colour, flavour or aroma when added to food or drink. Poisoning with this naturally occurring compound results in symptoms similar to those of food poisoning and other common illnesses, making such poisoning difficult to identify. But do not think of arsenic as a child in the game! A huge dose of arsenic causes abdominal cramping, diarrhoea and vomiting, followed by death. Moreover, if administered as small doses over a long time, arsenic causes slow poisoning. In such cases, the person experiences weakness, confusion and paralysis, followed by death. It is because of these properties that arsenic became popular tool in poisoning and is called the ‘king of poisons’.
But what does arsenic actually do? Well, it primarily targets the mitochondria in the cells that support life. Yes, you may have read about mitochondria being the powerhouse of cells. So, arsenic basically prevents it from performing this vital function. And things quickly start to worsen once the cells cannot use oxygen.
Detecting arsenic in blood
This was a landmark in the research of arsenic and the credit goes to a British chemist named James Marsh. He invented a chemical test to find traces of arsenic in the blood around 1836. Until 1970s, the method continued to be used in forensic labs.