Arsenic: The "King of Poisons"
Rock&Gem Magazine|October 2023
Few things are saddled with darker connotations than arsenic. Used throughout much of history as a human poison, arsenic has become inexorably linked with death.
By Steve Voynick
Arsenic: The "King of Poisons"

From medieval times through the mid 1800s, members of Europe's ruling classes frequently used arsenic to dispose of one another. Fittingly, arsenic became known as both the "king of poisons" and, wryly, the "poison of kings." In France, arsenic was called "inheritance powder," alluding to its frequent use by impatient heirs to accelerate the demise of family members.

But there is more to arsenic than a sinister image. Specimens of arsenic's two most familiar minerals, realgar and orpiment, are widely collected for their crystalline beauty and bright colors. In powdered form, these same minerals have been used in medicine and as pigments in the celebrated paintings of many European masters.

THE METAL & ITS MINERALS

Elemental arsenic is dark-gray, brittle, and a poor conductor of electricity. As a semimetal, it exhibits both metallic and nonmetallic properties. Ranking 55th in crustal abundance, it is about as common as tin. Although occasionally found free in nature, most arsenic is a component of more than 250 minerals, the most abundant being arsenopyrite (iron arsenic sulfide), which forms opaque, prismatic crystals with a steelgray color and metallic luster.

Next in abundance are red realgar and yellow-orange orpiment. Both these arsenic sulfides crystallize in the monoclinic system; occur in close association, and share similar properties.

MEDICINE AND THE ARTS

Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Rock&Gem Magazine.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Rock&Gem Magazine.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE ROCK&GEM MAGAZINEVer todo
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands

A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Rock&Gem Magazine

Iowa's Hidden Treasures

Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside

time-read
5 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Agatized CORAL
Rock&Gem Magazine

Agatized CORAL

Florida's Collectible State Stone

time-read
3 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Rock&Gem Magazine

Rockhounding Florida's Beaches

Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.

time-read
6 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Collecting Staurolite
Rock&Gem Magazine

Collecting Staurolite

Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia

time-read
3 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Pecos Valley Diamonds
Rock&Gem Magazine

Pecos Valley Diamonds

New Mexico's Ancient Attraction

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Rock&Gem Magazine

12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows

Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Turquoise in the American Southwest
Rock&Gem Magazine

Turquoise in the American Southwest

A Water & Sky Souvenir

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
Rock&Gem Magazine

Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT

It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals

time-read
6 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Rock&Gem Magazine

Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks

Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.

time-read
4 minutos  |
Rockhound Roadtrip 2024