A Little Scandal

Dr Crippen Polite Poisoner.

Bruce Miller.

Bruce Miller. Dr Crippen stated that his wife, Belle Elmore, had an affair with Bruce Miller - entertainer. The 'broken-hearted' Dr Crippen sought solace with the winsone Le Neve before hacking his wife into management portions and burying her in the coal hole.

Dr Crippen and The Drouet Institute

The origins of the Clinic.

Blood will out

Winston Churchill, Home secretary, who took great interest in the Crippen case, refused to consider a petition for clemency was Dr Crippen’s 8^th cousin.

Dr Crippen's ear trumpet

and the handcuffs in which he was restrained. Incidentally, handcuffs was the operational name of  Dr Crippen's capture.

Mary Kelly

Sorting out folders and files on my computer and I came across this image, and annoyingly just marked Mary Kelly with no reference.

Scopolamine and hyoscine

SCOPOLAMINE, or THE DEVIL'S BREATH:
It seems like there are more and more dangerous drugs being introduced everyday.
The latest to follow in the footsteps of “bath salts” is a Colombian drug called “Scopolamine,” more commonly referred to as “the devil’s breath.”
The drug makes you incapable of making your own decisions, and makes you a slave to the person who has given it to you.
It’s the modern day “ruffies,” but with a much deadlier effect…
Scopolamine (USAN), also known as levo-duboisine and hyoscine, sold as Scopoderm, is a tropane alkaloid drug with muscarinic antagonist effects. It is among the secondary metabolites of plants from Solanaceae (nightshade) family of plants, such as henbane, jimson weed (Datura), angel's trumpets (Brugmansia), and corkwood (Duboisia).
Scopolamine exerts its effects by acting as a competitive antagonist at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, specifically M1 receptors; it is thus classified as an anticholinergic, antimuscarinic drug.
Its use in medicine is relatively limited, with its chief uses being in the treatment of motion sickness and postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Scopolamine is named after the plant genus Scopolia.
The name "hyoscine" is from the scientific name for henbane, Hyoscyamus niger.
Overdose:
Physostigmine is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, and has been used to treat the CNS depression symptoms of scopolamine overdose.
Other than this supportive treatment, gastric lavage and induced emesis (vomiting) are usually recommended as treatments for overdoses.
The symptoms of overdose include:
Tachycardia
Arrhythmia
Blurred vision
Photophobia
Urinary retention
Drowsiness or paradoxical excitement which can present with hallucinations
Cheyne-Stokes respiration
Dry mouth
Skin reddening
Inhibition of gastrointestinal motility
Criminal use:
In 1910, scopolamine was detected in the remains believed to be those of Cora Crippen, wife of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, and was accepted at the time as the cause of her death, since her husband was known to have bought some at the start of the year.
In 2008, Vice News aired an episode called Colombian Devil's Breath recounting the use of scopolamine by Colombian criminals as a suggestion drug.
The two-part investigation contains multiple first-hand accounts of its use.
Scopolamine is used criminally as a date rape drug and as an aid to robbery, the most common act being the clandestine drugging of a victim's drink.
Per the United States State Department (March 4, 2012): "One common and particularly dangerous method that criminals use in order to rob a victim is through the use of drugs.
The most common has been scopolamine.
Unofficial estimates put the number of annual scopolamine incidents in Colombia at approximately 50,000.
Scopolamine can render a victim unconscious for 24 hours or more.
In large doses, it can cause respiratory failure and death.
It is most often administered in liquid or powder form in foods and beverages.
The majority of these incidents occur in night clubs and bars, and usually men, perceived to be wealthy, are targeted by young, attractive women.
To avoid becoming a victim of scopolamine, one should never accept food or beverages offered by strangers or new acquaintances or leave food or beverages unattended.
Victims of scopolamine or other drugs should seek immediate medical attention……..
— Source.

Dr Crippen

A Little Scandal - not published. Undecided about this cover yet. There's an image of Belle Elmore I like ...

An invitation to Belle Elmore

from the Music Hall Ladies' Guild.

Valentine LeCocq

A rare image of Dr Crippen's French maid.

Dr John Borroughs

The Music Hall Ladies' Guild doctor and his subpoena to testify against Dr Crippen.