The following table denotes the symbols available using this technique. These symbols are generally not found on keyboards, but they are viewable in most word processors and Web browsers. An extended set of symbols is viewable in more advanced Web browsers.
The ideal poison for committing a homicide must be: odorless, tasteless, difficult to detect and mimic the symptoms of naturally occurring diseases, finds Anil Aggrawal, professor of Forensic Medicine at the Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India.
Once people figured out they could kill each other with special substances instead of sharp sticks, the proverbial poison cookie was born. However, there are only so many times you can use the same trick. As people caught on to how poisons worked, and moved them to the forefront of investigations, certain poisons fell out of fashion.