Poison Gallery

Sophonisba taking poison to avoid humiliation by Rome

Sophonisba, a Carthaginian noblewoman, daughter of Hasdrubal Gisco Gisgonis, takes poison when her husband Syphax, King of the Masaesyli (or western) Numidians, is defeated by Massinissa, leader of the Massylian (or eastern) Numidians. Massinissa marries her, but she wishes to avoid the humiliation of being forced to take part in a triumphal procession in Rome, so she accepts the poison from Massinissa himself, whose fear of the Romans is stronger than his love for her

© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10006638

Seeking to arrest the dread disease: ridding the infected district of creatures likely to

Seeking to arrest the dread disease: ridding the infected district of creatures likely to carry plague-microbes. Illustrative diagram in The Illustrated London News showing how a major cull of rats, hares and rabbits took place in Suffolk in 1910, after it was discovered that plague-carrying rats may have been the cause of deaths from pneumonia among four people in Freston, Suffolk. Dead of dying rats and hares were found to be carrying the plague microbes. The cull was done by many methods including shooting and ferreting. One of the sketches shows a man using a long pole to place poisoned food well within rats holes. Date: 1910

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

WW1 - German gas attack

WW1 - Illustrating a gas attack in the eastern war zone from an aerial viewpoint. The poisonous cloud rolls before a westerly wind towards the Russian lines. The gas-cylinders have been released by the Germans in the centre of the picture. On the right are three lines of German troops awaiting their moment to advance. Date: 1915

© Mary Evans Picture Library