In this book, science writer Peter Macinnis considers poisons in all their aspects. He recounts stories of the celebrated poisoners and poisonings in history and literature, from Nero to Thomas Wainewright, from the death of Socrates to Hamlet and Peter Pan. He discusses the sources of various poisons - from cyanide to strychnine, from Botox to ricin and sarin gas - as well as their detection, the science of their action in the body, and their uses in medicine, cosmetics, politics, war, and terrorism. With wit and precision, he weighs such questions as: Was Lincoln's volatility caused by mercury poisoning? Was Jack the Ripper an arsenic eater? Can wallpaper kill? For anyone who has ever wondered and been afraid to ask, here is a rich miscellany for your secret questions about toxins."--BOOK JACKET.