Summary

Diski begins “Toxic Lozenges” by explaining George Orwell’s take on the perfect murderer. He believes it would be someone of the professional class. This man would go astray romantically and spend much time wrestling with his conscience before committing the murder which would be perfect except for one small misstep which would get him caught. The means of murder would be poison.

Diski discusses The Arsenic Century: How Victorian Britain Was Poisoned at Home. According to the book, arsenic poisoning occurred at all levels of British society. It was also used in murder and suicide. This was partly because it was very hard to detect in bodies before 1836. People could be poisoned slowly or immediately. The stereotype was that women used arsenic to poison people, but men did as well. Dying by arsenic is described as being excruciating.

Mothers...