I am currently reading The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, by one of our great science writers, Deborah Blum. She will, I hope, be a guest on Point of Inquiry at some point.
Blum weaves a masterful tale of how modern forensic medicine emerged during the era of Prohibition as a doctor-toxicologist team hunt down murderers who use arsenic, mercury, and cyanide, and try to protect the public health from threats like tetraethyl lead, wood alcohol, and carbon monoxide. Move over, CSI Miami–here’s CSI 1920s New York. Just amazing stuff; no wonder Blum is at around # 240 0n Amazon right now….
March 21st, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Chris -
Heard her on the John Batchelor radio talk show last week. I didn’t realize that New York City’s first professional Chief Medical Examiner pioneered techniques still in use today in forensic medicine. Nor that he and his lab soon surpassed Scotland Yard in using then state-of-the-art techniques.
Hope to add her book to my reading list soon. It sounds most compelling.
Regards,
John
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:54 am
“…threats like tetrahedral lead”
I recommend You write 100 times:
“I will never forget that it is: tetraethyl lead”
March 22nd, 2010 at 8:33 am
my typo has been fixed, thanks
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Another book of note by the outstanding writer and educator Richard Heinberg: “Blackout: Coal, Climate, and the last Energy Crisis.” Hmm, maybe a great guest for POI! About time, isnt’ it?