South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-09-08
Arsenic in WaIl-P Papers.

A CORRESPONDENT of the British Xedi-
cal journal writes:
Hitherto it has been generally suppos-
ed that only papers entirely green, and OF
a very bright shade of green, were arsen-
ical but the fact is, as proved by the
analysis of eminent chemists, that every
paper which contains any green in the
pattern, no matter how little, or of what
shade, as a general rule contains arsenic,
and is, therefore, injurious to health. One
shade of green is no safer than another,
for the very palest greens frequently con-
tain large quantities of ~arsenite of copper,
the brilliant color of which is toned down
to any degree of paleness 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 almost unli-
mited, varying from the fractional part of
a grain up to the frightful amounts of six,
nine, fourteen grains and upwards, to the
square foot. l have beside me some pale
green papers, the analysis of which give
those amounts, and the illnesses produced
by those papers proved in some cases all
but fatal l have also by me a paper with
green leaves on a white ground, contain
ing no less than eight grains to the square
foot, which caused most serious illness.
when the atmosphere of dwellings all
over the kingdom, in town and country, is
thus more or less poisoned with arsenic,
the most volatile and the most subtle of
all poisons, need we be surprised at the in
creasing prevalence of various forms of
disease? Investigation of this subject is
earnestly called for. l cannot but regard
1t as a question of great national import
ance, affecting masses of our population
physically, mentally, and morally, to an
extent little conceived at present. There
appears good reason for believing that a
very large amount of sickness and mortal
lty among all classes is attributable to
this cause, and that it may probably &C.
count for many of the mysterious diseases
of the present day which so continually
battle all medical skill.
Arsenic being exceedingly volatile, its
effects by inhalation, both of gaseous
emanations from the papers, and of the
line lmpalpable dust thrown off at all tenn
peratures, are highly dangerous, produc-
ing symptoms both chronic and acute,
which simulate various forms of disease.
L say simulate, because / have seen cases
where the symptoms of various diseases
were produced by the irritation of the en-
tire mucous membrane, and consequently
OF the whole system, resulting from the
occupation of rooms with a~rsenical wall
papers; and on the removal of those papers
the symptoms gradually subsidized, thus
proving that they were the result of irri-
tatlon, and not of organic disease. But it
would seem not improbable that prolong-
ed exposure to the same poisonous in
nuence may In time produce those diseases
which are at first only simulated.
Having witnessed the effects of slow
poisoning by ~arsenical papers in my OWL
family and household during a number of
years, and having suffered severely nv
self from the same cause, l speak from
personal experience. During a period of
twelve years we were rarely free from ILL.,
ness IN some form or other. No fewer
than twelve physicians, several of emil
nence, were consulted in London and
elsewhere. They all agreed as to the
diseased conditions which existed, but
not one succeeded in affordiDg more than
q measure OF temporary relief. Children
n adults OF both sexes, including several
servants, and numbering altogether four
teen persons, all suffered. The peculiar
nature and obs,inacy of the SYMPTOMS were
such that l could not but think sometimes
that some hidden cause was at work;
which analysis of the papers of rooms
occupied during those twelve years has
since proved to be indisputably the case.
The idea that arsenic papers were the
aus of illness was suggested by the
perusal of a little book not long since pub
lished, entitled, THE Green of the
PERIOD which gives much valuable in
formation on the subject, and was put in
to my hands by a physician who was at
tending us. The proof that such was
really the case lies in the fact, that on re-
moving all the papers containing green
the symptoms were soon greatly relieved"