Nowadays when you hear the phrase a "vitriolic attack" or a vitriolic comment it generally means its an angry , spiteful or hurtful verbal assault .
However the origins of "vitriol" are somewhat different .
Last week on another message board a lady was trying to find some info about a great uncle from Nottingham . She had searched the 1911 census info and couldn't locate him .
I did my usual searching the newspaper archives and found that he had been involved in "vitriol throwing" (hydrochloric acid) over his ex-girlfriend some 7 years later in 1918 (and got 20 years) and what with other p