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Arsenic
is an extremely
toxic, metallic
grey element, number
33 on the periodic
table. It is one
of a dozen toxic
elements like lead
and cadmium that
are present in common
items. Arsenic was
once used in rat
poison and is an
ingredient in pesticides
and herbicides.
Arsenic was once
so readily available
and common as a
method of murder
that it was called
"inheritance
powder."
In the Middle Ages,
the toxic element
was often chosen
as a means of assassination,
as the symptoms
closely resembled
death by cholera,
but its use continues
to this day.
In San Diego, 2007,
a woman was convicted
of murder for the
arsenic poisoning
of her husband.
Her motive was to
claim his army benefits.
The symptoms of
poisoning from arsenic
include fatigue,
sensory disturbances,
fatigue, muscle
paralyses, blindness,
convulsions , kidney
damage, shock and
coma. Autopsies
of arsenic victims
reveal signs of
internal hemorrhaging.
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