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For example, this site tells that the taste of Copper sulfate, (which is very dangerous for consumption) is of "metallic, nauseating taste" and as many dangerous chemical compounds often have taste descriptions, does this mean people eat them to taste test?

Hisham
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    Yes, perhaps many years ago... and some of those rather cavalier experimentalists are no longer with us. Read https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/02/14/fluorine-element-hell or https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride, for some other examples. – DrMoishe Pippik Jun 03 '19 at 02:58
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    Related: How do people know HCN smells like almonds?; How do we know a nerve agent is tasteless?; Do all salts taste salty? – andselisk Jun 03 '19 at 04:23
  • Newton in his older age was experimenting with testing of chemicals, including mercury compounds what is considered as reason for his related neurological problems. – Poutnik Jun 03 '19 at 07:20
  • Also, while working, you get to taste and smell a lot of things. Knowledge and regulations protect us, but I know the smells of hundreds compounds that I didn't deliberately smell or want to smell. If you would apply copper sulphate to trees or grape, you will get a feeling of its taste. (If not nowadays, surely it was at our grandparents time). Think of gluing something, too. – Alchimista Jun 03 '19 at 10:19
  • @poutnik did you mean testing or tasting? – Hisham Jun 04 '19 at 20:28
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    Ah, tasting. I guess tasting was more frequent in time of alchemy than it is now. – Poutnik Jun 04 '19 at 20:31
  • @poutnik why not revive the practise? of course you can start small to build “immunity” however that works – Hisham Jun 04 '19 at 22:16
  • Not all abandoned practices were good. Currently, if a substance is not considered dangerous, eventual tasting includes just few grains put on the tongue, then spilling out. Definitely not eating. – Poutnik Jun 05 '19 at 04:27
  • For the sake of curiosity, the history of modern and past artificial sweeteners is mostly a funny series of accidental tasting –  Jun 15 '19 at 14:24

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