Toxic revenge

In the 19th century, the figure of the poisoner was very present in literary and artistic representations. Hugo, Balzac, Flaubert and Dumas highlighted her, whether real, imaginary or fantasised. However, while the famous poison cases are well known, the same cannot be said of 'ordinary' poisoners. The in-depth study of twenty trials in the Assize Court, between 1813 and 1892, reveals the daily life of French rural society with its internal tensions, its ways of life, its words and its solidarities. It also shows that this "poor man's weapon", although it is most often used to settle family disputes, remains a predominantly male crime which, over the course of the century, allows us to observe the progress of toxicology and forensic medicine as well as the emergence of "news" in the press.