11. Candles and Other Household Items Were Deadly
Aside from the ever-present threat of disease in an era before the advent of germ theory and antibiotics, countless household items from the Regency Era could also kill. Paper, cloth, and candles all contained arsenic in varying concentrations, which is a deadly chemical often found in rat poison. Fowler’s Solution, invented in 1809, was heralded as a miracle cure for a variety of ailments. It was marketed, in small doses, to women to create radiant and blemish-free skin. For men, it was sold in increasingly large doses to provide stamina, treat baldness, and increase virility. The solution contained potassium arsenite, a form of arsenic. The use of arsenic in everyday products was so widespread that some refer to the Regency era as the “arsenic era.”
Arsenic interferes with the metabolic processes of mammals, leading to death from multi-organ failure. It is also a Group-A carcinogen, meaning that it is likely to cause cancer even in doses that don’t cause arsenic poisoning. All arsenic compounds, including the potassium arsenite found in Fowler’s solution, are associated with the development of cirrhosis of the liver, high blood pressure in the liver, skin cancer, and bladder cancer. Definitely not worth it for blemish-free skin or a few extra hairs on your head!