Debuting Tuesday as part of the PBS series "American Experience," "The Poisoner's Handbook" offers a fascinating look back at how the chemical age changed police work.
Based on Deborah Blum's 2010 book "The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York," it is divided into toxin-specific "chapters," (cyanide, arsenic, carbon monoxide, lead, radium, denatured alcohol and so on), but there is nothing particularly instructional about it. A certain sort of viewer might get ideas, of course, but should he watch to the end he will learn that poisoning is a hard crime to get away with anymore.
Some credit for this goes to pioneering main characters Charles Norris, a crusading, visionary New York City medical examiner, and Alexander Gettler, who ran his toxicology labs. They were an unlikely pair, Norris from Philadelphia money but with a healthy sense of noblesse oblige (he paid for equipment and subsidized salaries in his department when money was short); Gettler, a Lower East Side Jew who liked bowling and playing the ponies. But both were dedicated to "a medical-legal justice system" and the rule of science.
WINTER TV PREVIEW: Full coverage of the season's shows
The film, which seems to be about one thing and then another, is also a story of New York itself during Prohibition and the Depression, a melting pot on a high flame. It's as well about the birth of American forensic science and the transformation of the untrustworthy office of the coroner formerly a political appointment, with no qualifications needed and plenty of opportunity for graft into the much-respected forensic science of current practice and pop culture. And it's a chronicle of the chemicals and compounds that transformed modern life even as they made it deadly in brand-new ways.
And finally, it's a story of human fecklessness and haplessness of the injuries we do, not just through spite or greed but from our love of convenience: Call it suicide by technology. Norris and Gettler set themselves not only against murderers and policemen their evidence often being exculpatory but against the makers of radioactive watch dials and of lead-laced gasoline. (The lesson being that as hard as it might have been to fight City Hall, going up against Standard Oil and General Motors is simply impossible.)
For not all of the deaths investigated in the course of "The Poisoner's Handbook" are murders even some that first seem to be. Carbon monoxide, present in the gas used for lighting, cooking and refrigeration, killed more New Yorkers in a year than measles, tuberculosis and typhoid combined. And both Norris and Gettler were opposed to Prohibition, seeing correctly that it would not end the consumption of alcohol but only promote the consumption of bad, sometimes deadly, alcohol. ("Our national experiment ... in extermination," Norris called it.)
BEST TV OF 2013Lloyd|McNamara
There are many re-created events in courtrooms, at crime scenes and in the lab, with its many attractive antique instruments, that go on a little longer than is usual in such films. They have a goofy charm that fits the film's bemused tone.
Norris to cop: "You can't hold that man for murder. He didn't kill her. ... I'm taking possession of the body."
Originally posted here:
Review: 'The Poisoner's Handbook' on PBS: forensic medicine's birth
- Yes, But. The Annotated Atlantic. [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2009]
- Health Insurance Benefit Costs by Region [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- For an Operator, Please Press... [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Pollyanna With a Pen: Maine Governor Signs 18 New Health Care Bills into Law [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- AMA Sounds the Alarm, Medicare Making Yet Another Attempt to Cut Reimbursement [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Mass Governor Asks Blue Cross to Keep Higher Employer Contribution [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Lifespan and Care New England Plan Monopoly (Again) [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dirigo Health: Con Artists, Liars, and Thieves? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- New Orleans: Health Challenges [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- August a Flurry of Activity [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Maine's Dirigo Health Savings One-Third of Original Estimate [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- “Methodolatry”: My new favorite term for one of the shortcomings of evidence-based medicine [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Suzanne Somers’ Knockout: Dangerous misinformation about cancer (part 1) [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- A science-based blog about GMO [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- A Not-So-Split Decision [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Military Medicine in Iraq [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The effective wordsmithing of Amy Wallace [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- A Science Lesson from a Homeopath and Behavioral Optometrist [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Join CFI in opposing funding mandates for quackery in health care reform [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Mainstreaming Science-Based Medicine: A Novel Approach [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Those who live in glass houses… [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- J.B. Handley of the anti-vaccine group Generation Rescue: Misogynistic attacks on journalists who champion science [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- When homeopaths attack medicine and physics [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The cancer screening kerfuffle erupts again: “Rethinking” screening for breast and prostate cancer [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- All Medicines Are Poison! [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- When Loud Wins: Will Your Tax Dollars Pay For Prayer? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- It’s All in Your Head [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Skeptical O.B. joins the Science-Based Medicine crew [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Tragic Death Toll of Homebirth [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- What’s the right C-section rate? Higher than you think. [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Recombinant Human Antithrombin – Milking Nanny Goats for Big Bucks [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Does C-section increase the rate of neonatal death? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Man in Coma 23 Years – Is He Really Conscious? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Why Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination Isn’t Quite Universal [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Ontario naturopathic prescribing proposal is bad medicine [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Naturopaths and the anti-vaccine movement: Hijacking the law in service of pseudoscience [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- The Institute for Science in Medicine enters the health care reform fray [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Neti pots – Ancient Ayurvedic Treatment Validated by Scientific Evidence [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Early Intervention for Autism [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- A temporary reprieve from legislative madness [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- A critique of the leading study of American homebirth [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Lose those holiday pounds [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Endocrine disruptors—the one true cause? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Acupuncture for Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Evidence in Medicine: Experimental Studies [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Midwives and the assault on scientific evidence [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- The Mammogram Post-Mortem [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- An Influenza Recap: The End of the Second Wave [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- The End of Chiropractic [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Cell phones and cancer again, or: Oh, no! My cell phone’s going to give me cancer! (revisited) [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Another wrinkle to the USPSTF mammogram guidelines kerfuffle: What about African-American women? [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Acupuncture, the P-Value Fallacy, and Honesty [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- The One True Cause of All Disease [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Communicating with the Locked-In [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Are the benefits of breastfeeding oversold? [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Measles [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Radiation from medical imaging and cancer risk [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2009]
- Multiple Sclerosis and Irrational Exuberance [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2009]
- Medical Fun with Christmas Carols [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2009]
- Lithium for ALS – Angioplasty for MS [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2009]
- “Toxins”: the new evil humours [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2009]
- 2009’s Top 5 Threats To Science In Medicine [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2009]
- Buteyko Breathing Technique – Nothing to Hyperventilate About [Last Updated On: December 26th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 26th, 2009]
- The Graston Technique – Inducing Microtrauma with Instruments [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2009]
- The “pharma shill” gambit [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2009]
- Ginkgo biloba – No Effect [Last Updated On: December 30th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 30th, 2009]
- Oppose “Big Floss”; practice alternative dentistry [Last Updated On: January 1st, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 1st, 2010]
- Causation and Hill’s Criteria [Last Updated On: January 3rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 3rd, 2010]
- The life cycle of translational research [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- The anti-vaccine movement strikes back against Dr. Paul Offit [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- Osteoporosis Drugs: Good Medicine or Big Pharma Scam? [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- Acupuncture for Hot Flashes [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- The case for neonatal circumcision [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- A victory for science-based medicine [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- James Ray and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- The Water Cure: Another Example of Self Deception and the “Lone Genius” [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Be careful what you wish for, Dr. Dossey, you just might get it [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2010]
- You. You. Who are you calling a You You? [Last Updated On: January 15th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 15th, 2010]
- The War on Salt [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2010]
- Is breech vaginal delivery safe? [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2010]