The mothballs would be placed in a trunk to also keep the clothes deodorized. People used mothballs under their sofa cushions and in drawers and closets and under rugs. They were placed everywhere. Mothballs were the most inexpensive deodorizer to buy, so they were purchased in large quantities and used most frequently. Now we find out that mothballs contain naphthalene, which is a poison if inhaled.
Mothballs can cause nausea, vomiting and headache.
Other signs of illness are shortness of breath, coughing and burning eyes. Children that have glucose problems can become severely ill. Having clothing just removed from a storage trunk and put on can cause the naphthalene to enter through the skin. Children that play in the home and reach under the sofa can ingest one by placing a mothball in their mouth. Caution must be taken to rid the home of every mothball there is.