Why was poison popular in the 1800s?

Answer 1

They could not test for poisons, such as arsenic, until later in the century, and when given in small doses, it mimicked other gastrointestinal problems that were common at the time. So, poison made it easy to get away with murder, and arsenic was cheap and readily available. It was not unheard of to poison a child or spouse for insurance money.

Answer 2

because it was