ARSENIC: CRITICAL CASE: THE UNITED KINGDOM

In the United Kingdom’s Victorian Era (1837-1901), arsenic was utilized for a number of different purposes. In bakeries, arsenic was utilized as a bulking agent in flour and sugar. Several cosmetic products were also famous for using arsenic, as it was believed to create a “pure white” complexion. Due to this widespread usage of arsenic in numerous products, many individuals passed away, and arsenic was said to account for more than one-third of all poisonings. A book written by Lucinda Hawksley, entitled Bitten By Witch Fever, describes the ubiquity of arsenic in the Victorian home, and how deadly it could be.