The Hailey Public Library will host “Pick Your Poison – Arsenic!” on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 5:30 p.m. The virtual talk will take a fun look at the history and many uses of arsenic, often called the poison of kings. It will be part of a series with forensic chemist Cat Helms. RSVP to HPL program manager Kristin Fletcher at kristin.fletcher@haileypubliclibrary.org.
“Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that has been used in agricultural insecticides, wood preservatives, bullets, artist paint and even in chicken feed,” Fletcher said. “It is classified as toxic by most countries but, interestingly, the symptoms of arsenic poisoning are not very specific. Kings of yore used that fact to their advantage to knock off the competition.”
Helms, the presenter, has bachelor of science degrees in psychology from Vanderbilt University and in forensic chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University where she served as the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory manager. In 2008, she received a master of science degree in molecular medicine from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Helms also has significant experience as a science and math tutor and currently owns Cat Academy Tutoring, which provides local academic support and study strategies in math and science to middle and high school students.