Writers are the ultimate parasites, gathering in advice and information, absorbing support, and giving very little in return. Chris, Duncan (who dabbles in germs and things), and Threeby support me at home. Cate (who dabbles with heavy metals and pesticides and things) and Julian and Angus do so at a slightly greater distance. None of them poisons me, though they maintain the coffee supply. They encourage me, find me snippets of fine science, and put up with my temporary obsessions. I have a rare and marvelous family.
At Allen & Unwin, a host of Emmas give support, but especially Emma Cotter, aka Emma the Excellent Editor, while Ian Bowring thinks I do not notice the deft way he steers me away from my excesses. Both Emma and Ian have put themselves into this book as well, by the way they have helped me reconstruct. It takes a rare skill to conduct a prima donna. Emma also lent me books.
From one Internet list, Toby Fiander in Sydney instructed me patiently on the nature of tube wells, in order that I might understand better the arsenical tube wells of Bangladesh; Margaret Ruwoldt at the University of Melbourne introduced me to nineteenth-century medical jurisprudence and lent me books; David Allen found me new and exciting murderous herbs to romp through. Toby, David, Margaret, and Geoff Zero Sum saw an early draft and advised me well. Jean Lowerison, Theta Brentnall, Toby, David, and Margaret also saw a later version, patiently read it again and chided me, gently.
A number of these and other friends chipped in with comments about the last version: my son Angus, Theta, and Margaret (again!), Barbara Edlen, Barbara Sloan, Dee Churchill, Ian Musgrave, Mary Lou White, Paul Tessmer, and Kitty Park among them. I thank all of them, and anybody I have missed, because I would have missed them more if they had not commented!
So far as research was concerned, I relied mainly on the State Library of New South Wales and the main and branch libraries of my alma mater, the University of Sydney, and the resources of Project Gutenberg. As well, I had a bunch of friends and helpers on the Internet, and some remarkable Web sources to draw on. Assorted Banyanites helped: Mike Pingleton alerted me to TTX and zombies; Sylvia Milne in Chester and Mary Lou White in Washington, D.C., both found a way for me to get to the Old Bailey, as did Laurie Sarney. Robin Carroll-Mann found a difficult Decameron reference for me, and others on the Stumpers-L list chimed in as well, while Andy Meharg at the University of Aberdeen generously shared some lowdown on arsenic among the Fabians. I found him thanks in part to leads from Lena Ma at the University of Florida, who introduced me to the world of brake ferns as absorbers of environmental arsenic.
With fronds like these, who needs enemas?