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ERIC Number: EJ988894
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Apr-10
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
O True Apothecary: How Forensic Science Helps Solve a Classic Crime
Harper-Leatherman, Amanda S.; Miecznikowski, John R.
Journal of Chemical Education, v89 n5 p629-635 Apr 2012
As part of a university-wide project to explore Shakespeare's classic play, "Romeo and Juliet," from a variety of perspectives, an interdisciplinary talk was presented to the university community on the chemistry of the potions and poisons referenced in "Romeo and Juliet." To draw the multidisciplinary audience in and to teach about forensics as well as pharmaceutical herbs and chemicals, the presentation was given from the perspective of how a modern crime scene investigator would approach the famous play's final death scene without any prior knowledge of the situation. An autopsy of Juliet's body might have revealed the presence of the chemicals, hyoscine and atropine, that come from the plant "Atropa belladonna." The autopsy could reveal whether the Friar had set out to sedate Juliet or if he had attempted to kill her. An autopsy of Romeo's body might have revealed the presence of aconitine from the plant "Aconitum napellus." Using a classic story to teach about chemistry, basic ideas were introduced about forensics and pharmacology, emphasizing the importance of dose when determining the effect of a drug on the human body. (Contains 9 figures.)
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Connecticut
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A