Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-12-07
From tic Amercan Rcpcriorv.
on THE EFFECTS or ARTS TRADES. AND
PROFESSIONS, A. WELL As HABITS OF
LYING, ON HEALTH AND LONGEVITY.


No. ".
The THIRD CLASS Of causes affecting health and
Longevity among artisans embraces MINERAL faiecHies
which, either 90 ,ho form Of yspot OF minute dsine-
grafton come N contact with various parts OF tho BODY
producing malaties and symptoms pi specific char.
acter. ~ mineral substances are employed very eN.
teNslvelS IN the arts, and their IL constantly
extending with the progress OF discovery and the ad-
vancement oiscience, It Will be necessary TO enter
somewhat in detail INTO the mode OF thcii operation
their peculiar effects upon animal bodies, and the test
means Of guarding against their pernicuus properties
Mercury. THE uses Of mercury and It's various com
blnations numerous In the metallic state, 1t Is
employed IN the reduction OF the Of gold and sill
yer, the construction OF har0metefs aud thermometers
nr hne anatomical injections for mercutal pneumatic
clserns &c, In state OF combination (ylth iln) 1t
serves for siverng looking glasses, and for eild-
ing; amalgamdied with gold and silver for silver plat
ing copper; combined with copper for taking impress
sIOns-wih zinc, for facilitating the action of clectr-
cal machines-with sulphur, for co0ring sealing wax
and for preparing olide of chrome-wth nitric acid
forms the match printing pow der ut PERCUSSION caps
OF mpskes, riies &c. II is also employed for
other purposes IN the arts. Now when consider
that in all these processes mercury liable TO he
ceived Into the system in that mode viz the form Of
vapor 10y which the body can he speedily brought
under It's poisonous influence, It certainly IS matter
OF no little consequence to ascertain what It's effects
upon the animal economy, and now they be pre-
vented, and when present, removed.
! 1t has indeed been doubted by some whether any
vapors do arise from mercury al the ordinary temper
AZURE Of the atmosphere but This very easily be
proved, by suspending bit o gold in the month OF
vial, the bottom OF which is covered with hule neT-
cufy for in few minutes the gold will te come ANAL
gamaied The vapors thus discharged, Chrisli-on
has remarked may produce the species Of mer-
lcurlasm il they dii1used through an apartment
nsuiiicentiy ventilated 1t has heen abundanty es-
ablished 10y the experiments of Schopier. that mer-
curial vapor is rapidly absorbed through the lining
membrane Ct the air passages. SIX praus of cOtro-
sive sublimlie, IN the foim Of solution la, thus been
known To destroy a rabbit Ia five minutes; and when
suhned, its fatal effects no less speedily fatal.
The snbmation OF - grains of the same preparation
with the blowplpe produced panul construction oi the
throat, with headache sickness and vomiting IN sever
al medical students who were engaged Ia Chemlcs al
experiments. Where mercury has been introduced
more gradually and in larger quantities into the sys-
ten, II produces various morbid phenomena, such as
pruracted tumprs, severe PtyaIsm, gdngreen and ul
ccrhliUn OF the mouth and vroat, palsy, variety OF
and inf mma, ~ afeC lions In dlleien, paris
Of the body, prutaCted dysenery, morbid srnsbty 10
cold, &c. Indeed the effects of mercury the ami
NAL body. are doubtless far more diversified than those
, OF any ct poison for acrs on greater mum
per of organs, we might expect It's phenomena TO be
,prupOriIOnately various.
10 show Tie facility with which quicksilver evaoo
and combines only with the other metals bu
also with elastic gassr> and the atmosphere wei
as To illustrate II, effects upon the animal system
may refer 10 an occurrence which took place ~ lSlI
on board British man OF war, the Triumph, which
had received thirty tons Of quicksilver. contained II
eahern bags OF fifty pounds each that had been pic X
ed up the shore at Cadiz from the wreck Of two
Spanish llneo'-bate ships, that had been recently
lost The mercury, II appears. was al first confined il
baddefs the badders IN sm1ll barrels, and the barrel
in boxes. But owing To the heat OF the weather, an,
to the blldders having been wetied in their reno
val from the wreck, they decayed and burst an
although much OF il collected possible, am
comnllie5 to proper casks yet large quan,ilies Of
escaped into the crevces and of the ship DIR
{ Good states that the quicksilver tibet had escaped
he bec iallv
: composed, and ascending after with the vapot q
the water, emitted an intnerable STENCIL coated
metallic substance In the ship with black hue, an
at the time general affection ofthe mouth too
place among the men and officers 10 such extea
that no less than 200 became severely salivated,
did not recover TIL the snip, being carried into Glbfa
tar, dOcked, and cleaned 10 It's lowest panks co.
II This however is not altogether correct statement
the matter From detailed history Ofthe occurrence
drawn up by DR. Burnett, surgeon of the Mrdterrane
> an feet, we learn that most of the quicksilver va
stored the bread that the surgeon aud purse
who slept cabins adjoining the bread ruom aud int
= which the mercury freely flowed. were the FIST an
n most severely affected. and that after the ship wa
completely purified by ablution, and the blge-wsie
all removed, as well as the provisions, stores &c. o
s. re-siowing the hold some tine afterwards, every ma
employ ed. well a. those 10 the stewards rOpn
H attacked with tyasm and during the ships pa
. sage, and on her return to Catl, the fresh attach
= were daily and numerous for two months on mDfi
y The effects Of the mer~ural almn. sphere cot
T., for almost all the stuck consisting ~ sheep pigs goat
and poultry died ron H. mice, cats dogs, aud canaf
birds share the same lae, though the fi1d of the Ia
ter kept pa bouie closely oorksl. Besides eau
l. ing piyaism the mercura yapof produced severe
ceraiipns OF the mouth, pauia paralysis ia many q
n and bowel complaints ulcer. which had lor
=. been completely healed ami eii cicanI broke o
" again, and put on gangfenous appeafance. Tie v
ie por very deeirrnUs u those wbo had iende
" ~ pUimonary complaints three men died 81 pthl,
AZ pulaon4s. vino had never complained or been 4
80. list before they were saturated with mercury. Al
one man who had ,HifeIel from pneumpuia, buI "
- teflr,ty cufel. Ana snpiler ~ho had never had 81
~ rom aiu Of TIE ungs previously. were rit behind
~ GiHr4lttf, !IbouIR under confirmed ihluss. II
~ only died from y, alsrn, FanRrrnf having taken ps
iu their cheeks and l1n2urr, and 30 the case of
NC msn confined 10 the cock pa with hfukcn limb.
he ouy we're all the teeth lost, bet many eKfJhaDns 10
th place from TIE upper and lover sNs. The Dc. q.
n tie ship cnFeis- ~ith black pDsdst and eve
- thing metallic on bDar5 ne vessel wss chabgod 10
y same hue. lbOss "hu sisy' on tie af.su aal low
as decks, With tho exception ~ 10 miis 9nen "
were on deck, sIfieisd equally shha hose
ly tie upper deck we're not severely Affected ana
IA, VITO ye4 aal slep, lu-- tie ilroca.'.s escat
viii sl,H' .ss@- .9r of'7s ~ A. oT.a,- =