In the English city of Leeds, librarian Ryan Isaac (Rhian Isaac) found an 1855 book soaked in a deadly substance. It was not discovered by chance, since libraries around the world are now conducting a global search for books that contain toxic substances. A volume called My Own Garden: The Young Gardener's Yearbook was on a back shelf in Leeds Central Library. Unremarkable at first glance, the green-bound book is treated with a large amount of arsenic - you see, a good enough reason to wear protective gloves.
According to Ryan Isaac, she decided to look up "My Garden..." after she came across the title in The Poison Book Project's database. The aim of the project is to compile a list of such books and ensure that they are stored properly, as well as to protect readers from accidental contact with poison.
My Garden was owned by Caroline Gott, who received the book as a gift from her father, both descendants of the famous industrialist Benjamin Gott. The publication contains advice for beginner gardeners and later became one of the most valuable books in the library of the Gott family, which contained mainly literature on botany. The pages of My Garden are to be scanned and the binding to be examined in detail to determine the amount of arsenic used.
