A rare book laced with a deadly poison has been discovered by librarians in Leeds.
My Own Garden: The Young Gardener’s Yearbook was published in 1855 and owes its vivid green colour to a dye containing arsenic.
Senior librarian Rhian Isaac discovered the book while cross-referencing the library’s collection against a global database of known toxic texts.
She said tests would be carried out to assess how much arsenic it contained.
The Poison Book Project – started by the International Institute for Conservation in America – aims to identify different editions of historic books produced using hazardous compounds and heavy metals such as arsenic.
“This project is really important as it helps librarians across the world work together and understand how and when these books were made as well as what steps we can take to keep track of them and make sure they are safely stored and cared for,” Ms Isaac said.
“Amazingly, heavy metals were once quite commonly used in the production of books as a way to achieve what was considered a very aesthetically pleasing shade of green.
“The fact that this particular book also once belonged to the Gott family means its story is also a part of Leeds’s history and, with some careful handling and storage, can continue to be part of our collection for many years to come,” Ms Isaac said.
