Out of curiosity...

Maybe there was when this movie was filmed, but I doubt it if there is now!




"Ever since my nervous breakdown I've been extremely psychic."---The Ghost Goes West

I've been wondering this too.

I cannot think of -anything- that one could put in a glass of milk. But I do know that people can die of a fat embolism or an air embolism, but both of these need to be put into the blood stream. While the substance itself cannot be traced and 'identified,' the administration now can (i.e. an injection).

I think, given the time of the film, it is possible that people thought slipping certain electrolytes or other substances that naturally occur in the body into a drink would go undetected by a coroner as their presence would be attributed to the body dying rather than the cause of death.

It all just makes it very difficult for (writers) to come up with something new.

I mean, there is just no good way to kill a person anymore.

To me it just seemed like a plot device.

When Isobel is sitting at Lina's bedside after she wakes up, and Lina is asking about the poision, Isobel's responses killed it for me. "Oh, it's something that can be found in every household, very cheap, and completely odorless/tasteless, and undetectable after death." (or something along those lines)

...I mean, come on! (At least, I hope nothing this ridiculously convenient for murderers exists)

I believe strychnine, given the forensics of the day, was undetectable.

And it was commonly available as rat poison.

Also, I think this is a case where the movie didn't want to be TOO truthful, since it might have inspired copycat murders using strychnine.

Today, however, I think forensics have advance so that strychnine-poisoning would be immediately detectable.

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"