The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-04-12
The Color OF Death.

The third report of the Massachu-
sets State Board of Health contains a
valuable article on the evil effects of
the use of arsenic in certain shades of
green. The subject is not new. More
than one hundred years ago the nse of
arsenic as q pigment in certain manu-
features was forbidden by law in
France. But the beauty and health
fulness to the eye of the color, and the
thoughtfulness or cupidity of makers
of wall paper, artificial flowers, toys,
lamp shades, confectionery and other
articles, render it necessary to warn
the public again and again of the inju-
rv-sometimes a fatal One-infiicted
by its use.
1t appears that arsenic, aside from
its uses in medicine and in destroying
men or yermin, is employed in the arts
mainly as a large ingredient of two
green color;ng pigments. Into one of
these it enters as the arsenite of cop
per, known popularity as Scheele's
green. and into the other as the aceto-
arsenite If copper, which is also called
Shweinfurt green. The generic name
of emerald green or mineral green is
applied indifferently to either. Of
these two colors, the first contains fifty
five per cent, more than one-half, OF
white arsenic; and the other in every
one hundred grains contains fifty-eight
grains of arsenic. Both pigments fur
nish the prettiest and most durable
shades of green, each costs Compare
lively little, and the process of manu-
facture does not require great skill.
Hence, in spite of their deleterious
effects, both are used.
The most frequent instances of poi
soning by these colors have followed
the use of green paper hanglngs.
Makers CT the paper, dealers in it, pa
per-hangers, and even the people who
live in the roams papered with it, have
often suffered under every symptom of
poisoning by arsenic, and IN some
cases have received lasting or fatal in
Jury. In 1862, in London, four chill
dren died in succession, and a post
morton, chemical examination IN the
case of the last one showed traces of
arsenic. The walls of the room in
which they lived were covered with
green paper, in which chemical tests
showed the presence of arsenic-three
grains to every square foot. In 1859 a
niddle-aged woman in Boston was
attacked with the well-known symr-
toms of arsenic poisoning, and al
though her life was saved by removing
the paper, yet her health was perma-
nentIy injured. Such cases might be
multiplied almost indefinitely from the
reports of physicians.
Some years ago this subject excited
considerable discussion, and arsenical
paper-hangings became questionable.
1t would be well if every one who
wishes to buy any green wallpaper
would subject it to the following SIM
ple chemical test: Take n fragment of
the paper and put it into solution of
ammonia. If arsenic be present the
LIQUID will assume blush color. In
case further test is required, pour a
little of the ammonaical solution on
CRYSTALS of nitrate of silver, and arsenic,
if present, will show itself by leaving a
yellow deposit on the crystals. As
arsenic is used in coloring all qualities
of paper. from the cheapest to the cost
lest, knowledge of this test will be
of service to every one, whether dealer
or customer.
1t is of some interest to know how
the poisoning by wallpaper is effected.
Formerly it was held that the poison
was set free by some kind of decompo-
sition, and vitiated the air as gas.
The modern theory is, however, that
"the poison escapes from the PAPER
into the atmosphere in the form of
dust, mechanically disengaged,' as by
busting or wiping the walls, or Earring
them in any yay. The dust of a room
whose walls were covered with paper
containing arsenic, on being submitted
to delicate chemical test, is said to
have exhibited unmistakable traces of
the poison.
But it is not alone in coloriug wall
paper that these poisonous pigments
are used. Confectionery, pastry, orna-
ments and toys are colored with them,
articles that soon find their way to
children's mouths. Toy boxes of water
colors furnish an illustration. One of
the green blocks of paint, weighing
SO. 26 grains, on analysis was found to
contain $50 grains of arsenic. The
shelves in closets and pantries are
sometimes covered with arsenic paint,
from which the poison is easily alb
sorbed by any warm or moist sub
stance. The brilliant green paper so
common for covering paste-board
boxes, for tickets, for bon-bCn wrap
pers, for lamp shades, is colored with
arsenic. The green of artificial grass
and leaves is generally produced by
arsenic. In one case, in single twig
of twelve leaves, ten grains of pure
arsenic were found. Arsenic is used
to color cloth for women's. STRESSES. DIR.
Draper procured a sample of the stuff
called tarlatane, resembling muslin, at
one of the retail stores in Boston,
which was found to hold feebly S.21
grains of white arsenic TO every square
foot. TO handle or to wear such goods
is dauperous to life