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An Undetected Poisoning?

On By Catherine HausteinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

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In doing research for a short story, I stumbled across and fell in love with actress Dorothea Jordan, who was Prince and later King William IV’s partner for over twenty years. I felt a kinship with her as I read about the way she worked so tirelessly to balance home and career, nursing babies off stage, devoting herself to her home and her craft, even supporting the Prince when money was tight. I too did all I could to be a good mother and to work, sometimes rueing having having to do both, other times feeling like a superstar.

I’m sure many women will relate to her cruel dismissal by William, after bearing ten of their children, when it appeared he would be the next King and needed a younger, purer wife and legitimate heirs. This wonderful autobiography tells the tale, including her death from a violent illness while in France accompanied only by the family governess. “Bilious attacks, pains in her sides, swollen ankles, ..weakness..skin discolored.” It reads like liver failure and at first I wondered if she had hepatitis. However, until she’d left England, she’d been healthy. She’d had children well into her forties. Then I read her symptoms again and how her children weren’t notified until she had died and was buried on foreign soil. She’d been a beloved comic actress, so pretty, with fabulous legs, that even in her 50s she played youthful roles. How could she have gone downhill so fast? I wonder if history shouldn’t consider the popular poison of the day, arsenic. The use of this then undetectable poison was commonplace among royalty and rulers. The symptoms match those of hers at her death. It wasn’t until 1836 that the poison could be detected. It’s also possible that years of theatrical make-up could have caused liver failure as mercury and lead were common components.

She died in 1816. In any case, in the years that followed King William had no legitimate children and his niece Victoria inherited the throne. I wonder if the prudishness and strict women’s roles that she promoted were her attempt to wipe away the popularity of “Mrs. Jordan” (who even played men’s roles) and the Royal families’ ugly secret. In any case, this sad love story is an illustration of power and privilege. William was bumbling while Dorthea overcame poverty and even a rape baby to become a premier actress. Yet in the end, he ascended to the throne and she died with a “governess” at her side who stole her ring and took her last pension. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Pumpkin Pie & Fun Facts

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Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
  1. Pumpkins are squashes and uniquely North American.
  2. Wild pumpkin Cucurbita foetidissima grows in dry prairies and grasslands in the central US and Mexico and is inedible. It can be used in soap making simply by soaking the fruits in water and using the soapy liquid.You can even make a shampoo!
  3. Pumpkins have male and female flowers and rely on bees and other insects for pollination.
  4. Pumpkins are rich in carotenoids (Vitamin A) and potassium. Zinc and omega 3s are also found in pumpkins.
  5. Pumpkin oil is highly unsaturated (that’s good). It’s rich in Vitamin E and has been associated  with lowered cancer risk. It has a long shelf life.
  6. Most canned pumpkins come from Illinois.
  7. Pumpkin spice flavor is more spice and less pumpkin.
  8. Long a symbol of fertility, pumpkins might actually improve fertility.
  9. The flowers are edible and contain folate, vitamin A and Vitamin C in addition to carbs and protein. Some people fry them, some stuff them with goat cheese, others sprinkle them on salads. I put them in smoothies.
  10. Canned pumpkin loses the aroma of fresh pumpkin. This is why I grow my own pumpkins and make my own pies. Here’s my recipe. It will make two pies:Wash and bake one medium sized pie pumpkin at 350 degrees for one hour. Allow to cool.Scoop out seed. Skin pumpkin. Add flesh to a large capacity blender. Add 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk. Blend. Add three eggs, 3/4 cup organic sugar, tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 cup molasses. Blend. Or if you prefer, mix all ingredients besides molasses and stir it in by hand to give a marbled look as shown: pie-980_1910602_sPour into an unbaked pie crust. Brush crust with milk. Bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees until pie sets. it will be slightly wobbly until it cools.

Cleaner, Greener Labs for Analytical Chemistry

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I have a lab manual out. I wrote it because I got tired of teaching labs that were dangerous and generated hazardous waste. It includes labs that can find the L-dopa in Velvet Bean, the alcohol in Orange Extract, the dyes in Kool-Aid, and the Henna in hair dye. (I can now spot henna dyed hair from a great distance.) I have my wonderful research team to thank for their help with this project. It can be viewed and purchased here.here.

Your science crush:AC/DC? No, just AC.

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Two months ago I asked question: what scientist real or fictional, would you like to date? The winner with almost 53% of votes was a scifi favorite, Tesla. But how many know why he’s so popular? Could it be because his rival, Edison, went to the dark side?  Here’s a recap of my post published on the ScifiRomance Brigade blog. Give them a visit. It’s a fun site.

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Favorite Science Hook Up: Tesla and the AC/DC debate

Enigmatic, compulsive, afraid of germs and probably sex too, Tesla is an odd choice for a scientist hook-up, but that’s who won my “who would you date?” blog questionnaire. Tesla as many recall, was a pioneer of electricity, inventing the AC motor. Shy and detail oriented, he first worked for Thomas Edison and then for George Westinghouse, who sided with Tesla in the AC/DC debate.

Some fun facts about Tesla:

  1. He perhaps never touched a woman but he was romantic. He loved the power and beauty of water, lightning, and rain. He moved to Colorado and treasured its lightning storms as he longed to harness electricity.
  2. Yes, electricity was his first and only love, but some women did enter his life. Katherine Johnson, the wife of a friend, was his platonic lover. Pianist Marguerite Merington, Anne Morgan, a mysterious Anna and perhaps a few other women were associated with him. However, many say that he took a vow of celibacy in order to devote himself to his work. He was not a fan of woman’s rights. He thought that women were smarter then men and might take over the world and forget to be mothers. Do you really want a boyfriend like that?
  3. He once was attracted to a man, Richmond Pearson Hobson, but being a good Victorian, quickly dismissed that notion and was Hobson’s best man instead.
  4. The AC/DC battle was gruesome. Even Lord Kelvin (of absolute zero fame) didn’t support alternating current. Thomas Edison was so jangled by the idea of AC current that he collaborated with Harold Brown, employed by Edison to promote an electric pen/stenciling device, to rally public opinion against it. Under-educated Brown did all he could to scare people away from AC current, including electrocuting hapless dogs—44 in total—to demonstrate its dangers A circus elephant named Topsy who killed three handlers, was electrocuted with AC current and some cyanide carrots. Brown pushed AC current as a death penalty alternative to hanging. The first execution by electrocution was barbaric.
  5. Tesla responded to the brutal animal torture (it took many trials to kill the animals and was extremely cruel) with public displays of high-frequency AC current passing over his skin, in what could be called the first bedazzling ever.
  6. Niagara Falls was one of his first loves and greatest successes. Long taken with the force and beauty of the majestic waterfall, Tesla and Westinghouse harnessed it with generators that powered Buffalo, New York in 1895. Later, this power would build the city of Detroit.
  7. Telsa received posthumous credit for inventing the radio.
  8. If you get that date, don’t wear jewelry. He disliked jewelry not only on women but on himself. He never even wore a tiepin.
  9. Tesla might not have been much fun on a date. He didn’t eat much and was obsessed with pigeons.

The bottom line: for a fun ride, a Tesla car would get you there faster than the man. If you want a handsome and quirky companion, Tesla is your guy. Eat before hand and don’t plan a second date.

Not futile

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My latest short story, Grave to Cradle, is in an anthology published by Shade Mountain Press. “The thirty-six stories in this anthology, all by women authors, center around female characters who follow their own paths and tell the powers-that-be what they don’t want to hear, women who stand up for themselves, for each other, for their beliefs.” I love my category in the Table of Contents! My next novel springs from this story and shares similar themes. I hope to be able to introduce you to it soon.

Natural Attraction, Darwin, and Equality

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Click here for a replay of my interview with The Book Nook for the Dayton NPR station. It’s made Dayton my second largest market, after Des Moines. It discusses many topics, including one of the underlying themes to Natural Attraction, that the theory of evolution upset the status quo by promoting equality. You may ask yourself why people of the past thought nothing of killing Native Americans and using slaves. The answer is more simple than you think: these were not regarded as true humans. People DID believe in evolution in those days but conveniently, in their theory the white ruling class was the most evolved. Women, people of color, poor people–they were all lower beings who had a lower place and it was regarded as against God’s will to move out of your place. Those above you had the God given right to use you however they wished. Darwin and his fan Clementine in Natural Attraction, were real threats to the status quo. Although not in the novel, Darwin, like my ancestors, was from a fiercely abolitionist family. My great, great grandfather was wounded in the Civil War and eventually died from his wounds.  Ironically, Social Darwinism was nothing at all what Charles Darwin would have supported. He was the first to say that diversity is good for a species. And the idea that the “fittest” is the biggest and strongest was against his principles. The man saw earthworms as being “fittest.” You don’t have to know this to enjoy Natural Attraction but if you want to know more, give a listen.

Women in Science: a dozen tips for crafting an honest character

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Here’s a review of a previous post about a topic I’m passionate about.

As the number of female scientists increases, so does the likelihood that a work of fiction will include some. What should readers expect? How can an author build a realistic character?

I surveyed female scientists about their defining traits and two rose to the top: passion and curiosity. And the scientists had other suggestions. I’ve combined their responses into the following twelve tips to help authors create an authentic female scientist:

  1. Passion runs more deeply than just for science. Because of the high correlation between a scientific personality and curiosity and openness, it’s unlikely for a scientist to be buttoned up and cautious when it comes to romance, no matter what the stereotypes might be. (Although she’ll be skeptical and won’t jeopardize her safety.)
  2. She’s likely to be multidimensional. The scientist will most likely be passionate about life in general so give her a side interest. Many scientists like the arts, enjoy working with their hands, and find similarities between the lab and the studio. Others enjoy sports and fitness. She likes to defy expectations.
  3. No mad scientists out to destroy the world, please. Scientists combine passion and compassion. They see science as being a not just fascinating but a benefit to society.
  4. Balancing career and family is an important aspect of a female scientist’s life. Scientists would love to see more fictional characters who have kids.
  5. Problem solving is essential to scientists, but keep in mind that a scientist today will be highly specialized. She won’t know everything. She’s more likely to work as part of a team, too. The idea of one lonely genius working in solitude is outdated. In fact, working alone in lab is a violation of lab safety rules.
  6. She’s overcome a lot to get where she is. Prejudice, harassment, exclusion— these women are tenacious and they do overcome, often by cultivating a healthy sense of humor.
  7. Yes, she was a good student. Intelligence is a common trait among scientists. But it takes more than smarts to be a scientist. She probably had something driving her–the need to please a parent, to prove herself, or to overcome poverty or prejudice. Like many high achievers, reaching a goal brings pleasure, so much so that she could let relationships fall into disrepair if not careful.
  8. She might have her favorite jargon. Scientists have their words. It’s part of being in the club. But there’s an even better reason for science speak—it’s precise. Why say carbohydrate when you can say maltodextrin?
  9. MacGyver anyone? Yes, it’s true. Scientists fix things with duct tape and paper clips or a twist of copper wire. Scientists don’t mind improvising. And they like their scientific equipment.
  10. Power suit? It’s a lab coat. Studies have shown that those white coats make people perform better and make fewer errors.
  11. Under scrutiny. Peer review means that her work is critiqued by other scientists—a humbling experience and one that will keep her honest.
  12. More than anything else, your scientist will be curious about and find wonder in the natural world. Isaac Newton said that being a scientist is like picking up pebbles and shells on a beach beside the “vast ocean of truth”. Your scientist should be always questioning, always curious, with one foot in the future, her eyes on the stars or peeking through a microscope, and her passionate heart here on earth.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog and an excerpt

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“After hundreds of miles through the spiky short-grass prairie—a dry and windblown Poaceae desert tunneled by black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), big-eyed and breathlessly barking at the end of their mating season—the conductor and the whistle’s scream signaled my stop.

I’d taken the tonic each night. It had tasted of cherries and made my skin sensitive. My clothing touching me left a pleasant tickle that threatened to break into waves of some sort. My breasts were gone, but was it enough?”

In Natural Attraction, Clementine wants to be a naturalist. She travels out West to search for new plants and animals to study.

Prairie dogs are social animals and live in underground “townships.” They eat the same foods that cattle eat so farmers and ranchers consider them pests. Their population today is only 2% of that in Clementine’s day.

First Kiss

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I’ve always enjoyed a good kiss. Kisses are a way of testing out the chemistry of a potential mate and basically keep us from hooking up with a close relative. The kiss just won’t be right. It’s best not to choose that mate when chemically altered, such as pregnant or on the pill. Arranged marriages probably don’t have the best outcomes. In Natural Attraction, I had a challenge with that first kiss. It had to seem to be between two men, but not be between two men. In Lily Graison’s blog, you can read all sorts of fictional first kisses, including that of Calvin and Wesley. The problem is, of course, that Calvin isn’t a man but a woman named Clementine chemically altered. What happens next? You’ll just have to read.