Poisoning in Old Time Radio

Poison is a medical, biological, and chemical term for a substance which does harm to an organism, often at a molecular level. The sense of taste was developed to not only tell primitive man what foods were good to eat but also as a warning mechanism for him to spit out poisonous ones. Many plants and animals evolved the ability to produce toxins in order to keep other organisms from eating them. Some snakes and insects developed the ability to inject venom to immobilize, if not directly kill their prey.

Many poisonous substances are used in industrial and agricultural settings for properties other than their toxic characteristics. Interestingly, the long-running Cavalcade of America, whose sponsor's slogan was "Better Things for Better Living… Through Chemistry", does not have any episodes in the Poisons and Poisoning Collection.

One of the most nefarious uses of poison is for murder. Although no form of murder can be considered particularly honorable, poisoning is considered particularly underhanded and despicable. To shoot or stab one's victim it is necessary to see them, but poison can be administered in a remote fashion. Poison can be infused with the victim's food or drink, and the murderer does not have to be on site when it is taken. However, poisoners do face the possibility of an unintended victim ingesting the poison.

One of the most distressing aspects of being poisoned is not realizing what is happening. Some forms of poison are seemingly humane, bringing death quietly, almost like falling gently into a sleep from which there is no waking. Others attack the organism, bringing a wrenching, violent, and painful death. In either case, our advice is to avoid the company of poisoners.

• Riding High, June 10, 1937, Blue Network, sponsored by the Cycle Trades of America and the League of Wheelmen. An address from the AMA Scientific Convention in Atlantic City from Dr. Bower who encourages cycling as a means of improving health but warns cyclists in the countryside to recognize poisonous plants and to be prepared to deal with snakebite.
• The Whistler, April 28, 1945, CBS Pacific Net, "Meet Mr. Death" The pharmacist got caught up in a scam to embezzle some money from the store and have it doubled overnight. After the conman makes off with all of the money, another unsavory character comes into the store and offers the pill maker $5,000 to spike a single pill in a newspaper reporter's sleep medication. It will seem like a suicide, a perfect crime, but the plans may have been overheard.
• Suspense, August 29, 1946, CBS, "Blue Eyes". Hume Cronin plays a hen-pecked bookkeeper whose only relief from the humdrum of life is his rose garden. That, and the attention of a pretty girl working in the office. Finally, he snaps but then realizes that the answer to his problems might be in the chemicals he uses on his roses.
• Boston Blackie, August 25, 1948, ZIV Syndication, Mutual. A man poisons his wife over the telephone and establishes an airtight alibi. What he doesn't look for was Boston Blackie to be on the case.
• Escape, July 28, 1950, CBS, "Poison".  An American Contractor is working a construction job in India. He is completely bigoted against anyone who is not an American. The region is infested with kraits, tiny snakes which are so poisonous a bite can kill a man in seconds. The question is which is more poisonous, the krait or the bigot's hatred toward "gooks".
• Let George Do It, September 11, 1950, Mutual-Don Lee Network, "The White Elephant". Alice May Edmond knows that she is going to be murdered, so she writes George Valentine into her will on the condition he discovers who the killer is. When George and Brooksie interview the old lady, she receives a dose of strychnine right in front of them, but the antidote is given at the same time. Was she given counter-acting poisons because more than one person is trying to rub her out?
• The Man Called X, January 20, 1951, NBC. Finding a cure for radiation poisoning is a noble Cold War goal, and that is one of the projects that Kent Thurston is protecting while in Tokyo in support of the Action in Korea. An American professor is working at Aichi University on the problem, but it seems like the secrets are in too many rice bowls.
• Dragnet, November 16, 1954, NBC/AFRTS, "The Big Dog". Sgt Friday gets called out to the neighborhood where he finds the old timer on his porch with a shotgun. The old man is determined to kill the man who poisoned his dog, the only companion he has known for years.
• Suspense, April 6, 1958, CBS, "Just One Happy Little Family". They have both lost their spouses but find happiness in each other's arms. She is an expert in poisons, and he is incredibly talented with knives. When has murder ever been so blissful?