Evening star., 1901-08-24
ARSENICAL ORES.
Dangers to Which Some Miners and
Metal Workers Are Subject.


Metal Workers Are Subject.
From the Engineering and Mining Journal
1t is remarkable how little injury, rela-
lively speaking is received by the men who
work in mines containing arsenical ores
and in reduction works treating these ores.
Gold mines in which the ore contains much
sulphurets are very apt to yield a consid-
cradle proportion of arsenopyrite in asso-
citation with iron pyrite, marcasite, galena,
blende and other minerals of this class
Silver mines, too, of the kind which produce
base ores, generally have a good deal of
arsenopyrite in association with the min
erals just named with perhaps a little
proustite (arsenical light ruby siver), other
arensides and arseniates, together with the
regular silver minerals.
There are many deposits of both classes
in this country. Canada Mexico, Germany
Austria Hungary and other countries. If
such mines are dry a great deal of dust
containing arsenic is formed in the usual
course of working, in blasting, breaking
and transporting the ores. 1t is breathed
by the men, it adheres to their clothes and
persons and it cannot be completely eS-
capped by any use of inhalers ventilating
systems. Yet there is probably more trou-
BILE from lead poisoning in dry carbonate
mines than is given by arsenic and this is
no doubt due to the fact that arsenic is
not a cumulative poison like lead, but
quickly disappears from the vital organs Of
the body, while lead remains and it's effect
is increased by each small addition of the
poison. In dry-crushing stamp mills the
danger would seem greater To dry the ore
iii 1t needs drying) means making good
deal of dust; the breaker makes some, the
stamps make great deal more and the
furnaces add their contribution of fumes.
Some of the operations must be carried
on in the open air chat is, of the building)
and where it is attempted to shut the dust
in, as in the battery mortars, troughs
10, alnrS al nhI1ta nd
pers, the confinement cannot be made COM
plete. The furnace connections are made
as close as possible and the dust and fume
chambers, f1ues and stacks are carefully
looked after but still it is UNEXPECTEDLY
seldom that serious illness or fatality is re-
ported. A small quantity of arsenical dust
must even find its way into the mems din
ner pals. The comparative immunity from
illness probably comes from a sort OF In
oculation and the otherwise healthful in
f1uences under which the men work. and
perhaps to other causes. Still, it is some
what mysterious.
cine great deal of arsenic is admins
tered in the form of Fower's solution, etc.
the doses being gradually increased to an
amount which would certainly Kill II given
"a the beginning of the treatment. But this
does not seem equivalent to the exposure
which is safely borne in working in arsenl-
cal ores.
Turning now to the therapeutic effects
entirely too delicate, since they prove too
much sometimes, in criminal cases-We
may call attention to paper on Polson-
ing by Arsenic" read before the lnterna-
tional congress of medicine recently held
in Paris In this DR.. Brouardel stated that
the deadly drug could be administered as
a slow poison and death might occur six
weeks after it had ceased to be taken. In
regard to the detection of arsenical poison
ing he said that while the victim is living
arsenic is easily detected in the water or
linen, and especially In the hair. AT HaVre
the hair of Nine. Decamp, who was poi
soned was cut and analyzed, and 100
grammes of her hair yielded one MILL
gramme of arsenic. Mr.. Pouchets expert
ments had proved that long after all trace
of arsenic had disappeared in the Viscera IL
could easily be found in the spongy tissue
of the bones. Being thus preserved, Its
presence could be proved long after burial.
1t is especially the arsenic given in small
doses that locates itself In the bones. by
analyzing the bones the congress was OF
opinion there should be no difficulty In de-
tecting arsenical poisoning.