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Loading... The Poison Principle: A Memoir of Family Secrets and Literary Poisonings (2001)| 170 | 5 | 162,503 | 
(2.93) | 1 | When Dr William Macbeth poisoned two of his sons in 1927, his wife and sister hid the murders in the intensely private realm of family secrets. Like the famous poisoner Dr Crippen, Macbeth behaved as if he were immune to consequences; unlike Crippen, he avoided detection and punishment. Or did he? Secrets can be as corrosive as poison and, as time passed, the story of Dr William Macbeth, well-dressed poisoner, haunted and divided his descendants.… (more) |
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| Epigraph |
"I will not give a fatal draught to / anyone if I am asked, / nor will I suggest any such thing."
-- from The Hippocratic Oath  I will not give a fatal draught to anyone if I am asked, nor will I suggest any such thing. - from The Hippocratic Oath "In Egypt, a common practice is to scoop out / the central pith of a corn-cob and fill up / the remaining space with arsenic."
-- John D. Gimlette, Malay Poisons and Charm Cures, 1923 "I had read about the giant water bug, / but never seen one."
-- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, 1974 | |
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For my parents, Roy and Alice -- my gift / & for Andrew, with my love For my parents, Roy and Alice - my gift & for Andrew, with my love | |
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When I was a girl of ten my father showed me a kind of sample case, made, he said, of the best wood, lacquered, embossed with gold initials, hinged and fastened with brass. When I was a girl of ten my father showed me a kind of sample case, made, he said, of the best wood, lacquered, embossed with gold initials, hinged and fastened with brass. | |
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When I want to particularise that grief to my father's brother, I want to go back to Wilson Street on an ordinary day in 197, knock on Dr Macbeth's door, and, like a good daughter of Isis, see what I can do to keep the day ordinary. (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.) | |
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▾References References to this work on external resources.  Wikipedia in English (1)
▾Book descriptions When Dr William Macbeth poisoned two of his sons in 1927, his wife and sister hid the murders in the intensely private realm of family secrets. Like the famous poisoner Dr Crippen, Macbeth behaved as if he were immune to consequences; unlike Crippen, he avoided detection and punishment. Or did he? Secrets can be as corrosive as poison and, as time passed, the story of Dr William Macbeth, well-dressed poisoner, haunted and divided his descendants. ▾Library descriptions No library descriptions found. ▾LibraryThing members' description |
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