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Arsenic is a chemical element, that has been feared since Antiquity due to its toxicity. Note that due to linguistic sloppiness, we apply the same term - arsenic - in English for the chemical element, that by itself is practically harmless, and for the oxide (i.e., arsenic oxide) much in vogue among crime authors to bump off rich aunts, scorned lovers, witnesses, and whoever else may be in the way. When we see Arsenic as specimens, it is usually massive black chunks or aggregates of globular masses, and it is quite characteristic to the trained eye. However, when freshly exposed in a mine, it is grey with a submetallic luster, and miners previously mistook it for valuable ore and sent it to the smelters, where it would burn to arsenic oxide, poisoning people, and obviously yielding no metal whatsoever. For this reason the globular variety, that was very abundant in German silver mines, was called 'Scherbenkobald' by the miners, 'Scherben' for shards, 'Kobolden' were vicious gnomes, and 'Kobald' something the Kobolden had made. This is obviously provided for your information only, do not try this at home, etc., and my web site is obviously only read by honourable people of good breed, but in case somebody else snug in through the back door: Don't even think of buying my Arsenic and bump off your aunt. In spite of arsenic's popularity in novels, it is one of the least desirable murder weapons. It is easily traced by any crime technician, even in minute amounts, and the flavour is absolutely disgusting! Fatal dose of arsenic in aunties glass of port? Forget it! Take the word of somebody who tasted it: you can not cover the flavour of one fatal dose of arsenic by all the curry consumed by the Indian army.