The Portland daily press., 1885-11-28
ARSENICAL POISONING.
The Use of Poisons in Articles of
Common Use.
Boston TRANSCRIPT


Boston Transcript
Some years ago there was much agitation
of the subject of the use of arsenic in the
coloring Of wall and wrapping papers, toys,
candies and other articles for mechanical
uses and for food. People became careful in
the selection of articles that were likely to
contain the poison, and were made even
more than normally cautious when Prof.
Edward S. Wood, NJ. D., of Harvard, made
an exhaustive report on arsenic as a Do
nestle Poison to the State Board of Health,
Lunacy and Charity. He gave the result of
thirty-six analyses of the higher grades of
wall paper, in all Of which arsenic was els
coyreed in the coloring of glazing substances.
Only three of these specimens We're of the
generally prescribed green; all were tainted,
many to a dangerous degree; especially the
reds, the browns, the blues and the greens,
the blues were the worst Cartridge" pa
pers only were exempt. There is no law
whatever against the use Of poisons in man
ufacturing in this country. There are such
laws in European countries, and it only re-
mains for public opinion here to settle wheth-
er goods thus adulterated shall or shall not
be exposed for sale to the enlargement Of
the community. Germany has a stringent
act against the employment of poisons in the
preparation of food drink or articles cover
ing them toys, paper hangings and wearing
apparel. Russia prohibits their manufacture
and Importation. Sweden had, in addition,
prohibited of the sale of arsenic and strych-
nine for any purpose, even upon preScrip-
ton: but this was modified in 1888, though
| the law now is more stringent than in the
other countries named. Austria prohibits
certain colCrs in articles of food, whether
containing poisons or not. France and En-
gland only are in line with the United States
in this regard, though strenuous efforts have
been made in England to induce Parliament
to act in the matter.
The subject is broughtparticularly to mind
by recent. occurrence. A lady selected and
purchased from reputable dealer line of
wall papers for her home, being guaranteed
that none of them contained arsenic in their
c0l0rlng Having confidence in the dealer
sincerity, yet distrusting his techni al knowl-
edge OF the goods, the purchaser took thir-
teen samples of the paper to chemist who
discovered arsenic in six of them, some con-
tanning the poison in proportion dangerous
to life and health. Upon exchanging these
rejected papers, of six new specimens, three
were proved to be equally bad-and were
discarded.
This is but one instance of many that can
be named where unconscious tests went far
toward the destruction of the health of those
who were the involuntary human subjects.
One gentleman, whose delicate wife and juve-
nile son were subjected to the baleful influ-
ences OF a paper that adorned their sleeping
apartments, and were for long time under
medical treatment before the real cause of
their physical troubles was OWNED, has
much to say against the use of wall papers
that have not been submitted to tests by a
chemist known to the user as being compe-
tent to make them. He has had three eXpe-
riences-two on the Back Bay and one at
the shore. After the first experience, in
which his young soon was invalided for
months before the occasion for his ailment
| was discovered and removed, he was very
| particular to obtain a guarantee from the
| dealers that his paper hangings were entire
| ly free from arsenic. He put them on his
| new house; but soon after moving in the old
| symptoms returned in his family, and chem
| ical tests revealed the presence Of the poison
| In one style of paper used in the principal
| dormitory He had it changed for beauti-
| ful and expensive pattern that was proved to
| De Tree OF the dangerous mineral by a chem
list of repute. A year or two later, in furn-
| lshing his home at the shore, fancying and
| having confidence in this adornment above
| all others for his parlor and principal cham
| her, he ordered them hung with it. During
| the summer the lady of the house was seri-
ously affected, particularly in the parlor,
| during damp weather, when receiving in the
| evening under the heat of the gaslight. She
| was often compelled to leave the room. Still
the TACT that the first lot of the wall paper
had stood the test for poison disarmed the
| host from any suspicion for the time that the
| second lot of the same material would not
| bear the same examination and prove free
| from arsenic. At last the reality dawned up
on him, and he had sample Of the paper
| chemically analysed. To use the words of
the chemist in making his report: st has
more arsenic in its composition per square
yard than ever saw before" The wife, the
gentleman said, being delicate, had no doubt
received permanent injury. The second mr.
chase had been doctored Perhaps the deal
er did not know it, but the gentleman's con-
hdence in manufacturers and dealers alike
was shaken, and he tests everything now.
On the other hand, to show that there has
| been an improvement in this respect recent
ly, inquiry was made at the Office of Mr.
| Stephen P. Sharples, the State Assayer, who
has recorded and illustrated by specimens
more than thousand chemical tests of wall
papers made within a space of eighteen
months. These show that in the first six
months nearly every specimen submitted was
'arsenical." In the second half year there
was an average of about so per cent devoid
of poison. More recently the absence of ar
senic has become gradually apparent. until,
during the past three weeks, of 173 tests, on
ly three or four developed the presence of ar
senic to dangerous amount. There were
some that showed traces where oxide of iron
had been used in the coloring and the arse
ilGd1 pIOpolty udu llOJ Ue6l 6llIlr0ly 6Tdulcd-
ted, but these were harmless. This diminu-
alton OF the presence of arrenie
in the absence of law, can only be ac-
counted for by the fact that householders
have become more distruStful of wall papers
than ever, and where they have not totally
discarded them for paint they have become
so cautious in their selection, and have en-
ployed the chemists so freely, that manufac-
turers and dealers, in self-defense, have been
compelled to relinquish the use ofdeleterious
substances.
AS indicated above, the official tests made
are of the higher grades of hangingS How
far the adulteration can he shown in the
cheaper styles has not been made apparent
and unless some concerted action is taken.
will probably never be developed Among
the specimens viewed, there was a beautiful
piece of Japanese art, free from everything
Objectionable, while another, from French
manufacturer, had the poison so hidden by
varnish that its effects would not become APP
parent until the varnish wore away; vet it
was there in considerable quantity, and
would not deteriorate in quality until it was
set free on its deadly mission.
1t is claimed by sufferers and others who
have sought legislative interposition that ar
Senlc and other poiSons are used SO extern
slvely in manufactures that the interests of
large manufacturing countries like England
France and the United States preponderate
IN the legislative bodies, hence it is next to
impossible that preventive laws can be there
enacted. The only remedy seems to be that
shown by Prof. Sharples' tests-that the
great public should be Informed of it's dan
ger, and that each individual having oc-
casion to use articles of clothing that are col
ored, wall papers, package boxes, etc, should
take it upon himself or herself to hold the
dealer of whom the purchase is made respon-