Notoriety to respectability: A short history of arsenic prior to its present day use in haematology

Abstract

Summary This paper looks at arsenic, and in particular the trioxide, from the days of the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, through the 17th-20th centuries to its adoption by today's haematologists. It looks at its commercial and medical uses, past and present, its notoriety as a poison, it's reputation as a 'tonic' and therapeutic agent, many of the famous people associated with it including Thomas Fowler, William Withering and Robert Christison, and the promise an 18th century panacea now offers 21st century patients under the care of today's haematologists and tomorrow's oncologists. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.