The Doctor, The Brothers, And the First Great Failure of Forensic Science

The Doctor, The Brothers, And the First Great Failure of Forensic ScienceNews of the Times | Episode 603| 1823 Paris, 1823: Two wealthy brothers die months apart. A respected young doctor attends both deaths. Symptoms point to poison — but toxicology finds nothing at all.In today’s episode, we uncover one of the most unsettling cases in early forensic history — the story of Dr Edmé Castaing and the Ballet brothers, a case that forced Europe to confront a chilling truth:👉 Science, in 1823, was simply not good enough to catch a clever poisoner.Before the era of Marsh tests, Reinsch tests, Victorian toxicologists, and forensic certainty, courts still had to reach verdicts — even when chemistry returned empty-handed. This case became the first major crisis in forensic toxicology, shaping British and French legal thinking for decades.🔍 In this episode we explore:• How two sudden deaths exposed the limits of Georgian forensic science• The rise of arsenic panic across Britain• Why morphine (“morphia”) terrified early toxicologists• The puzzle of a will, missing money, late-night letters, and locked rooms• Orfila’s cautious testimony — and why it shocked British experts• How a man was executed for poisoning with no poison ever found• The legal turning point: Can you convict on circumstances alone?And in Further Particulars, we detour to 1888 for a marvellously absurd tale from the American West — as reported in an East Kent newspaper — featuring:a Pullman carriage, a polite stranger, and a horse thief whose reputation travelled rather farther than he did.🔬Hosted by Robin Coles📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 🎞️ Long-form historical crime compilations: Final Sunday of every month 📚 Related cases from the archive: 1824: Murder by Exorcism | EP443 https://www.patreon.com/posts/shocking-1824-120965771?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link 1828: Deadly Betrayal: The 1828 Mother’s Assassination Conspiracy | EP457 https://www.patreon.com/posts/deadly-betrayal-123227277?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link 1827: Sisters, Poison, and Betrayal: The Forfar Murder Case of 1827 | EP540 https://www.patreon.com/posts/sisters-poison-136840522?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link ❤️ Support Independent History If you enjoy our ad-free, archive-based storytelling, help us keep the lantern lit: 👉 **Patreon** – Full archive, early access, bonus compilations (and it keeps us independent): https://www.patreon.com/NewsOfTheTimesHistoricalCrime ☕ Prefer a one-off thank-you? We LOVE a posh coffee indulgence! We tip our top hats: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd🕯 About the Channel We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based entirely on archival material — from coroners’ inquests to forgotten newspaper columns. If you like your true crime thoughtful, atmospheric, and rooted in real records — welcome to the vault. 🎩 — RC & Team #HistoricalTrueCrime #ForensicHistory #VictorianCrime #GeorgianEra #Toxicology #EdmeCastaing #BalletBrothers #PoisoningCase #FirstForensicFailure #CrimeHistory #BritishHistory #FrenchHistory #EarlyForensics #NewsOfTheTimes #TrueCrimeDocumentary