The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-06-23


40 P.n.v cellars Pc,.onousf
~. 49,. ~. h..a - ~. -.,.i 4.
the quesuon :. .ns ~. ~ =, s,s er.'c'e Is
one oi gree. h'elest a snu ,n po =. IN
fentey amoH py sosi'snS snu ~ my worn
only ~ young NV IN. es s WIN .n sl
Wnsner-Women, PAPel vomss my now Pc
come P9Pen nss'.' vi y n ~ ulis
I country sno IN huIvpe. lae'es na,e auopteu
stnem, hnp oolnPeras,ey Nv sehne,nen now
prefer tne more expensive pe, sups,anual
linen. Ingusenos 81 persons, therefore, are
'deePly anxious IN regaru 70 the recent ruinor
that tnese collars are POISONOUS Manuiac-
turers who announce every style Of collar
and cum In paper, may De ruined II their
wares are proved 70 De detrimental to the
health 81 the wearers. But In such matter
as this II would be criminal TO conceal the
ihcu. lesat APP
A Boston paper states that clerk IN
wholesale store in that city was recently
ahiicted with q painful eruption about the
neck Thinking that II was merely boil,
ne PAID httie attention 10 IL ut hrst; pnt as
the pam grew more intense ne was lnduced
TO consult physician, who declared that his
patient was suffering rom the effect OF poison
absorbed into the system from paper collars
Inc physician also remarked that he had been
consulted in numerous similar cases and
upon careful inquiry It was ascertained that
hall dozen oil the young clerk companions,
all OF whom wore paper collars, were con
stantly troubled with the same eruptons
But, without attempting TO argue from
these cases, let us look at the general iacts
IN regard TO paper collars. In order to INT
tate linen as nearly as possible, these collars
are enameled, and IN thus process arsenic Is
used. Everybody knows that the enamel
upon yislting cards Is poisonous Shliuren
nave died rom being allowed 10 play WIN
such cares. IL VIII DC reineihoeIeu tnat tne
o. hrst importation OF swans LOT the Oentrai
rark were poisoned py some careless ana
thoughtless persons VINO threw pieces OF card
board INTO the lake ior the swans 10 eat
One would suppose that knowledge oil iaets
IKE these would long since nave aroused the
suspicious Oh he pupnc as 70 lhe danger
rom paper eoilars prepared IN the same way
as cardboard; out the majority OF people did
not renect upon tne suolec. AZ all, or ielI
INTO the error OF oenevhg that tne ehalnel
was only poisonous Wneh eaten.
easily suscePu9le OF proof however
tnat arsenic Is very ueieterious no matter
O. now may DC ABSORBED INTO tne system
when taken directly INTO the stomach 1t
may De more iatai put When IL enters
through the pores oil the SKIN ana meets the
blood It's operations are hardly less deadly
although they may be slower. The very
name oil the arsenic, derived from the Greek,
announces It's power Oh destroying men.
The workmen who prepare II are Obliged
to dress In costume and helmet OF
leather, the eyes protected by glasses and
the nostris by wet sponge but in spite OF
these precautions and a carefully regulated
dict they only average thirty years oil life.
Instances are on record oil persons who have
died from sleeping In rooms covered with
arsemcai paper, and the green wallpaper,
once so much in use, is now almost COM
pletely discarded because oil the arsenic en-
ployed in its manufacture. Here is a poison,
then, which is equally dangerous whether
eaten, inhaled, or absorbed, and which is yet
used to enamel the collars to be worn around
the neck. 1t thus enters the system through
the pores, reaches the blood directly when
the skin is frayed, and. being rendered VIOLA,
tile by the heat OF the body, Is also inhaled
at every breath. Gould anything be more
dangerous, more pernicious.
But although we are compelled to answer
the question, Are paper collars poisonous
IN the Affirmative, some persons may object
that they have worn these collars Tor long
time without perceiyng any evil effects
This may be true, and yet the effects may
exist Inc eruptions which aihicted the
Boston CLERK were the protests OF nature
against the poison which he was absorbing
In oil strong constitutions nature can make
such protests and utter such warnings against
further indulgence: But In. the weak Inc
poison may be LETT 10 DO It's deadly worH
without any outward signs o. aahger. W.
recall the case OF an invalid American a