“For decades, chalk and alum have been added to bread, and burnt corn and peas ground up to make coffee. Vinegar is rendered sharper by the addition of sulphuric acid, arrowroot is added to milk to thicken it, mustard is eked out with flour, strychnine is added to beer for bitterness and green vitriol to encourage a foaming head. And these are but the harmless manipulations.” PoisonPoisoningPoisonsVitriolEducational FictionThomas WakleyAlumStrychnine Book:The Devil's Feast Source: The Devil's Feast
“Good heavens!” I said. “Strychnine and vitriol in beer?” “And in gin too. Enough to impart hallucinations and a nasty disruption of the bowels. And I have seen far worse: indianberry – very toxic – added to beer to make it more intoxicating. Custard flavoured with laurel – a mortal poison; pepper made from floor sweepings, comfits from china clay. Double Gloucester cheese coloured with red lead. Lead, copper, mercury, arsenic – deadly, all – they are everywhere. I myself can attest that lead salts taste quite delicious.” PoisonPoisoningAveryPoisonsVitriolEducational FictionThomas Wakley Book:The Devil's Feast Source: The Devil's Feast