Poison, Detection and the Victorian Imagination

Download or read book Poison, Detection and the Victorian Imagination written by Ian Burney and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this book, Ian Burney embeds discussions about the relationship between medico-legal expertise and its wider cultural context in an account of several celebrated poisoning trials, focusing in particular on the 1856 case of William Palmer. A rogue doctor, gambler, forger, adulterer and serial murderer, Palmer served as the apogee of the Victorian poisoner, and ultimately called into question the capacity of the poison detective to satisfy the demands of his public." "Burney has produced an exemplary work of interdisciplinary history, mixing a keen understanding of the social and cultural landscape of the period with the histories of science, medicine and the law. Blending rigorous scholarship with riveting stories from the annals of crime, Poison, Detection, and the Victorian Imagination will appeal to an interdisciplinary professional audience, and to all those interested in the darker side of Victorian society." --Book Jacket.