February 7: Pharmacy Fun Fact

Which crime novelist incorporated her knowledge of pharmacy into her books?

Answer: Agatha Christie!

Although Christie was never a full-fledged pharmacist, she developed an interest in pharmaceuticals as a volunteer nurse during World War I. She completed an exam that made her the equivalent of a pharmacy technician and resumed her pharmaceutical duties during World War II.

Christie's interests came in handy as she wrote, with more than half of her novels containing poisons such as strychnine, which was prescribed for heart disease at the time. Released into the air or sprinkled into food or drink, strychnine can cause respiratory failure, muscle spasms, and death.

REFERENCE

Agatha Christie, Pharmacist. JStor Daily; September 15, 2016. https://daily.jstor.org/agatha-christie-pharmacist/. Accessed February 6, 2020.

Stay tuned each week for our new series: the Friday Pharmacy Fun Fact! Impress your friends and colleagues with useful facts about the history of pharmacy, inventions created by pharmacists, and more. If you have a fun fact to contribute, email AAntrim@pharmacytimes.com, and it may be included!