The Phenomenon of the Styrian Arsenic Eaters from the Perspective of Literature, Chemistry, Toxicology, and History of Science-"Strong Poison" or "Simple-Minded Reasoning"?
The arsenic eaters of Styria, who were supposedly immunized against the toxic effects of arsenic (As2 O3 ), appeared increasingly in scientific and popular literature in the second half of the 19th century. This Essay starts with a depiction of this phenomenon from a detective novel and questions whether the observations and scientific knowledge at that time can confirm this legend. Figure from J. H. Pepper, The Boy's Book of Metals, p. 433.
Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário Capão do Leão, 96010, 900 Pelotas - RS (Brasil). martin_wallau@ufpel.edu.br.
W Martin
WM
Wallau
D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans
D001151:Arsenic
Styrian arsenic eaters; history of chemistry; mithraditism; scientific misinterpretation; toxicology of arsenic