A book has been found "laced with a deadly poison" in Leeds Central Library.
The book, 'My Own Garden: The Young Gardener’s Yearbook', is Victorian and dates back to 1855. It has now been hidden safely away from visitors. An inscription inside the front cover of the book shows it was a gift given to a Caroline Gott, a member of one of Leeds' industrialists, by her father.
It was discovered when senior librarian Rhian Isaac began to cross-reference the library's collection against the database of The Poison Book Project. She then found a book on the list which was known to have been coloured with arsenic, and the library had one of these exact copies.
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Rhian said: "As a librarian, it’s always incredibly exciting to discover any sort of rare, or unusual book in our collection. But this project is also really important as it helps librarians across the world work together and understand how and when these books were made as well as what steps we can take to keep track of them and make sure they are safely stored and cared for."
This particular book, which is a vivid green colour, was dyed using arsenic, which can be lethal when ingested. Rhian added: "Amazingly, heavy metals were once quite commonly used in the production of books as a way to achieve what was considered a very aesthetically pleasing shade of green.
"While people at the time were certainly aware substances like arsenic were harmful, they probably didn’t understand the many different ways they could be accidentally ingested.
"The fact that this particular book also once belonged to the Gott family means its story is also a part of Leeds’ history and, with some careful handling and storage, it can continue to be part of our collection for many years to come."
Caroline's father William was a descendent of Benjamin Gott who once owned Armley Mills. The book joined the library when their descendent Beryl Gott donated a large part of the family's collection, particularly old botanical books, to the library.
The book will now be secured and safely stored before being sent away and scanned with a specialist spectrograph to determine how much arsenic it contains.
Councillor Mary Harland, executive member for communities, said: "Our libraries are a fantastic public resource but they also play a pivotal role in the preservation our city’s rich and fascinating heritage.
"The incredible work that goes on behind the scenes to catalogue and document our unique collection plays a huge part in that and ensures these captivating stories are not lost to the ages."
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