Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-12-02

Arsenic in Wall Paper.

A correspondent of The Britih
Medical Journal writes "IlithertO
it has been generally supposed that
papers entirely green, and Of very
bright shade of green, were arseni-
cal but the fact is, as proved by the
the analysis of eminent chemists,
that every paper which contains any
green in the pattern, no matter hoE
little, or of what shade, as a general
rule contains arsenic, and is. there
fore, injurious to health. One shade
of green Is no safer than another, for
the very palest green frequently con-
tain large quantities of arsenite of
copper, the briIlisnt color of which
is toned down to any degree of pale-
ness by the addition of chalk, and
sometimes of white lead the result
being that pale green papers often
contain Just as much arsenic as those
Of brighter color. The quantities Of
arsenic used in green papers appear
aim ost unlimited, varying from the
fractional part OF a grain up to the
frightful amounts ofsix, nine, four
teen grains and upwards to the square
foot. Ihave beside ire some pale
green papers, the analysis of which
give these amounts, and the illness
produced by those papers proved in
some cases all but fatal. have also
by me paper with green leaves on
a white ground, containing no less
than eight grains to the square foot,
which caused most serious illness.
"When the atmosphere Of dwell
lings all over the Kingdom, in town
and country, is thus more or less
poisoned with arsenic, the most vol
atilc and the most subtle of all pois-
ons, need VIC be surprised at the In
creasing prevalence of various forms
OF disease! Investigation of this
subject is earnestly called for. /
cannot but regard it as a matter of
great national Importance, affecting
masses oil our population physically,
mentally, and morally, to an extent
little conceived of nj present. There
appears good reason for believing
that vo y large amount of sickness
and mortality among all classes is
attributable to this cause, and that ii
may probably account for many of
the mysterious diseases of the pres
ent day, which so continually battle
all medical skill.
"ArscniC being exceedingly vola-
tile, its effects by inhalation, both of
gaseous eminntions from the papers,
and of the fine impalpsble dust
thrown oil at all temperatures, are
highly dangerous, producing symp-
toms both chronic and acute, which
stimulate various forms of disease.
say StimUiqte, because | have seen
cases where the symptoms of va
rious diseases were produced by the
irritation of the entire mucous mem
brane, and consequently of the whole
system, resulting from the occupa-
ton of rooms with arsenical wall
papers and on the removal OF those
papers the symptoms gradually sub
sided, thus proving that they were
the result of the Irritation, and not
of organic disease. But it would
seem not improbable that prolonged
exposure to the same poisonous in
tluence may in time produce those
diseases which are at first only slim
ulated.
Having witnessed the effects of
slow poisoning by arsenical papers
in my own family and household
during number of years, and ha7-
ing suffered severely myself from the
same cause, l speak from personal
experience. During a period of
twelve years we were rarely free
from illness in some form or other.
No fewer than twelve physicians,
several of eminence, were consulted
in London and elsewhere. They all
agreed as to the diseased conditions
which existed, but not one succeed
ed more than a temporary relief.
Children and adults of both sexes,
including several servants, and num-
bering altogether fourteen, all suffer-
ed. The peculiar nature and obsti-
macy of the symptoms were such that
| could not but think sometimes
that some hidden cause was at work,
which analysis of the papers ofrooms
occupied during those twelve years
has since proved to be indisputably
the case, The idea that araenical
papers were the cause of illness
was suggested by the perussl of a
little book not long since published,
entitled, "The Green of the PERIOD
which gives much valuable informs.
ton on the subject, and was put into
my hands By a physician who was
attending us. The proof that such
was really the case lies in the fact
that on removing all the papers con-
tanning green, the symptoms werC
greatly relieved"