Et al,
Has anyone else read about Mitradities ("The Poison King")? It appears he came close to actually conquering the Roman Empire at one point in history.
He had developed a myriad concoction called "Mitraditum" which he took every day in the mistaken belief that one could build tolerances to various poisons by taking low does before being exposed to a high dose (homeopathy, anyone?). According to some medical historians, this concoction or at leas tsomething sold under the same name was available until, historically, reasonably recent times.
Arsenic, of course, has a long history of use in assassinations and homicides because it is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It's signs and symptoms may mimic certain medical conditions such as Guillain-Barre' Disease. One interesting aspect of thallium poisoning is that it causes hiar loss of the eyebrows and eyelashes; the only poison I recall at this moment to do so.
I recall one case from our embassy/consulate in one of the South American Guineas where it was supposed that most of the staff had been poisoned with thallium. After a great deal of investigation, it turned out to be a hoax plus a mass hysteria incident (and yes, Virginia, mass hysteria incidents do occur -- you just can't discount them without a thorough investigation).
Best wishes to all for a happy holiday season and a prosperous and happy New Year.
Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medical Toxicologist
