Acute arsenic poisoning appears consistent with the symptoms party members reported: stomach pains, vomiting, dehydration, stupor, and mania. Arsenic can have a sweet taste, and Hall had complained that the coffee had tasted too sweet and had burned his stomach. It also appears that at least three of the crew—Budington, Meyer, and Bessels—expressed relief at Hall's death and said that the expedition would be better off without him. In "The Arctic Grail", Pierre Berton suggests that it is possible that Hall accidentally dosed himself with the poison, as arsenic was common in medical kits of the time.