This dye was popular in the Eighteenth Century for colouring papers and textiles. Poisoning can easily occur if damp encourages mould that can react with the dye to produce Tri-methyl arsine. This is what is supposed to have killed Napoleon. Mercury Mercury is another slowly accumulating poison, early signs are headache, lassitude, loss of appetite, indigestion and pallor. Later it can lead to excessive shyness, irritability and mental deterioration.
Shakiness makes the hand illegible and the eyes and kidneys are damaged.
In horology, we encounter mercury in barometers, compensated pendulums and miniature watch batteries. It has long been used in the dangerous process of Fire Gilding. The Gold was dissolved as an amalgam in mercury, painted onto the base metal of the clock cases and then heated to vaporise the mercury leaving the gold coating the base metal. The air filled with poisonous mercury vapour. Most watch batteries are now Silver oxide, but the older batteries contained mercury.