Non-Lethal Uses of Arsenic
In the past, arsenic has been used medicinally and in pigments, but these days it is certainly not recommended!
Arsenic is a metalloid element (chemical symbol As, atomic number 33) that has long been known to be poisonous to humans. In its compound form as arsenic trioxide (AS[2]O[3]) it has traditionally been a favourite weapon of murderers because it is tasteless and odourless and the symptoms of arsenic poisoning are very similar to those of natural diseases such as cholera and food poisoning. A famous case in the 19th century was that of Mary Ann Cotton who committed at least twenty murders, including those of eight of her own children, before anyone suspected that the deaths were not due to natural causes.
It was also not difficult for people to get hold of arsenic compounds because they had uses that had nothing to do with killing people, or at least not intentionally. Most people have a degree of tolerance to arsenic, although this varies between individuals, and it is unusual among toxic substances in that small amounts will be expelled from the body and leave no trace. It has therefore been used in the past in ways that are relatively safe but, for obvious reasons, such uses are not recommended today!
