05.03.15 — The Inheritor's Powder — the Acrostic


Sunday, May 3, 2015

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Edited by Will Shortz
In the first half of the nineteenth century, an epidemic swept Europe: arsenic poisoning. Available at any corner shop for a few pence, arsenic was so frequently used by potential beneficiaries of wills that it was nicknamed “the inheritor’s powder.” But it was difficult to prove that a victim had been poisoned, let alone to identify the contaminated food or drink since arsenic was tasteless.

Incisive and wryly entertaining, science writer Sandra Hempel brings to life a gripping story of domestic infighting, wayward police behavior, a slice of Victorian history, stories of poisonings, and an unforgettable foray into the origins of forensic science. ~ amazon.com 

The quotation:  OPIUM WAS SOLD IN A SOLUTION CALLED LAUDANUM WHICH COST ABOUT THE SAME AS A PINT OF BEER.  GALLONS OF GODFREY’S CORDIAL, A BLEND OF OPIUM, TREACLE AND SPICES WERE POURED DOWN INFANTS’ THROATS DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

The author’s name and the title of the work:  SANDRA HEMPEL, “THE INHERITOR’S POWDER”

A. Aquatic plant’s anchoring part, HOLDFAST
B. Bliss, euphoria, joy, ELATION 
C. Insanity, MADNESS
D. Activity for a  cabalist or a navigator, PLOTTING
E. Dodge or duck; battle, ELUDE
F. No. 2, for example (2 wds.), LEAD PENCIL
G. Not apt to ruffle feathers, TACTFUL
H. Large brass instrument resting on the shoulder, HELICON
I. Public walk along a shore, ESPLANADE
J. Anvil in the middle ear, INCUS
K. Like the invasion of 1066, NORMAN
L. Fatal flaw of many Greek heroes, HUBRIS
M. Get less intense, let up (2 wds.), EASE OFF
N. Stronghold from which to repel an attack, REDOUBT
O. Safe, harmless, not to be feared, INNOCUOUS
P. Frugal sort, unflatteringly, TIGHTWAD
Q. Big of gossip (2 wds.), ON DIT
R. Out of control; on the lam, RUNAWAY
S. Has some intriguing ideas?, SCHEMES
T. Acquire, pick up, manage to get, PROCURE
U. Study of birds’ eggs, OOLOGY
V. Detached, reserved, shy, WITHDRAWN
W. Evidence against an assertion, DISPROOF
X. Words on a Wonderland cake (2 wds.), EAT ME
Y. Poison also known as white arsenic, RATSBANE

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