Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-05-08
Paint or Paper ?

No one need be informed, however
slight his pretensions to a knowledge of
chemistry, that arsenic is one of the dead
liest of poisons. Unless bent on suicide,
no person, ii is presumed, would know.
ingly expose himself to its fatal action.
1t would seem, however-and we have the
best of authority for the statement-that
many are hourly subjecting themselves
unconsciously to it in all its virulence.
A general alarm having been aroused
some time since in regard to the dangers
of bright green wallpaper, it is presumed
that no one unless utterly reckless of life
persists in using it wherever he may have
to pass any part of his daily existence. 1t
has only lately been revealed, however,
to scientific observation that green paper
of all shades, whether pale or brilliant, in
large or little, giving color to the ground
or merely to the pattern, contains, as a
rule, arsenic, and is therefore dangerous.
have by me-" says an investigator,
specimens of pale green papers contain.
ing the amounts ofsiX, nine and fourteen
grains of arsenic to the square foot.
Papers not entirely green, but having
green in the pattern, sprays of leaves, etc,
on white or lightcolored grounds, con-
tain arsenic in various quantities, from
the fractional part of grain to eight
grains and upward to the square foot"
The investigator from whom we have
quoted is enabled to confirm his state.
ment by the experience of suffering from
wallpaper poisoning which proved al.
most fatal in his own household. He and
his family, while from time to time under
the baneful influence of this malignant
green, were made to illustrate in their
fhn Df al,
every disease in the nosology. Beginning
with cold in the head, sore throat, stomach
attacks and such small ailments, they
gradually passed through congestlons OF
the mucus membrane throughout its
whole extent and suffered successfully
from chronic dyspepsia, irritation of the
brain, affections of the liver, rheumatic
gout, neuralgia, erHptive complaints Of
various kinds, asthma, bronchitis, tooth.
ache, cramps, spasms, convulsions and
incipient paralysis After fourteen
years of this nosological experience
and suffering and after rejecting
between seventy and eighty house,
because so many of the rooms haC
this deadly green on the walls, the Sc
verely-tried investigator finally installed
himself and family in dwelling will
not spot of green. While, however, re
| joicing in the brown, white, red, buff
mauve, and gray which now tinted tn,
paper of his mansion, he began, alas t
renew his experience with the nosology
Suspecting, naturally, that the old poison
was at work, he analysed some sample
of wallpaper, and discovered that witt
three exceptions arsenic was present il
all and quite as active in mischief unde
the new colors as the old one of green
He now very judiciously, having frs
submitted himself and family to a par
boiling by course of Turkish baths a
the temperature of $50 degrees F., re
moved all the paper from the walls of hi
house, and replaced it with simpl
wash of chalk size, tinted with Indial
red"
Apart from these unquestionable dan
gers of paper, it is in every other respec
less desirable than paint for the walls o
the dwelling. Wallpaper is apt to hal
Dor filth of all kinds, and the size an,
paste essential to its use will necessarily
be decomposed in time, and becom
sources certainly of impurity, if not i'll
health. In case of infectious and cor
tagious disease, paper is sure to imbib
the poison, and will resist all attempts t
dislodge or disinfect it. Painted wall
are infinitely cleaner, as they are nc
such ready recipients of dirt, and, more
over, can be thoroughly cleansed at an
and every moment and for thorough dii
infection from all contagious and infe,
tious properties nothing more is requisit
than fresh coat Of paint. AT one tim
the hard-fnish wall, as it was called, wa
universally preferred, and the commo
tendency to substitute for it the various
colored paper. .hanglngs is believed to b
a dangerous one. The plain white wa
has naked, comfortless air, but it ca
be painted and decorated warmly an
tastefully without any great expense; an
though the first cost may be create
paint will prove more economical in IL
end, and in every respect more desirab
than paper.-Harper's BdzGr.