Poison, Detection and the Victorian Imagination

Ian Burney author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Manchester University Press

Published:30th Jun '12

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Poison, Detection and the Victorian Imagination cover

This fascinating book looks at the phenomenon of murder and poisoning in the nineteenth century. Focusing on the case of William Palmer, a medical doctor who in 1856 was convicted of murder by poisoning, it examines how his case baffled toxicologists, doctors, detectives and judges. The investigation commences with an overview of the practice of toxicology in the Victorian era, and goes on to explore the demands imposed by legal testimony on scientific work to convict criminals. In addressing Palmer's trial, Burney focuses on the testimony of Alfred Swaine Taylor, a leading expert on poisons, and integrates the medical, legal and literary evidence to make sense of the trial itself and the sinister place of poison in wider Victorian society.

Ian Burney has produced an exemplary work of cultural history, mixing a keen understanding of the contemporary social and cultural landscape with the scientific and medical history of the period.

The research is impeccable, and the quotes from Victorian periodicals and newspapers add a great deal to the book.
Catherine Ramsdell, Pop Matters, 31/08/2012

ISBN: 9780719087783

Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 12mm

Weight: 268g

208 pages