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How Victorian Forensic Science Solved London's Poison Epidemics
Description
In the dark alleys and crowded homes of London during the Victorian era, poison became the weapon of choice for murderers seeking a silent and seemingly untraceable death. Arsenic could be bought cheaply and easily, earning it the chilling nickname: "inheritance powder."
In this episode of History Shorts, we explore how a wave of suspicious deaths forced investigators, doctors, and chemists to pioneer the early science of forensic toxicology. From sensational murder trials to groundbreaking chemical tests, Victorian Britain became the unlikely birthplace of modern forensic investigation. Figures like James Marsh developed new methods capable of detecting poison in the human body—changing criminal justice forever.
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