Strychnine and Cocculus Indicus Used in Beer
Poet involved
What happened
In the 19th century, some brewers added strychnine and cocculus indicus (a plant extract containing the poison picrotoxin) to beer to give it a bitter flavor, mimicking the taste of hops. These substances are toxic, with strychnine being a powerful convulsant and picrotoxin a central nervous system stimulant. Despite the dangers, these practices were common until they were exposed by chemists and journalists.
Literary impact
The use of poisons in beer became a notorious example of the greed of merchants, often referenced in temperance literature and social reform poetry. Poets like James Thomson and George Meredith wrote about the degradation of the working class, which was linked to adulterated alcohol. The image of 'fishberries' in beer, used to stun fish, was a particularly vivid symbol of the dehumanizing effects of capitalism, appearing in the works of several Victorian writers.
Source: Victorian Web
