The San Francisco call., 1905-06-04
PO|SONS USED
IN WALL PAPER
Volatile Compounds of Ar
senic Set Free in the Home
That Affect the System
PUBLIC GIVEN WARNING
Department of Agriculture in
Massachusetts E1acts Bill
in Regard to Manufacture

One Of the most subtle methods of
taking human life little known to the
general public is that recognized by
the laws of Massachusetts, In estab
fishing a limit to the amount of ar
senic that may be used In wall papers
and fabrics. It has been found that
these articles, as we'll as others, such
as playing cards and materials used
in furnishing the home, are injurious
in that they either set up a continual
cumulative irritation by throwing of
arsenical particles, as In dress goods,
which poison is absorbed by the pores
of the skin, or by the formation of
volatile compounds that are breathed
and set uD serious poisoning of the
system; the neglect to remove the
sources Of Infection eventually under
mines the health and the subject sue
culnbs.
The experts of the Department of
Agriculture ARE fully convinced from
data which has been published that
volatile compounds OF arsenic can be
set free from wall papers and there
fore that cases Of poisoning by this
class Of substances are due both to the
formation Of volatile compounds and to
the actual busting off OF arsenic into
the air of dwelling places or to either
Of these causes"
GIVE A DOZEN INSTANCES.
The authors Of the Government PAM
phlet Arsenic in Papers and Fabrics"
are so thoroughly convinced by the
data they have collected that arseni-
cal poisoning from papers and fabrics
is Of common occurrence that they
only quote few dozen cases out of
the many hundred that have come to
their notice, devoting a large part Of
the space to the results Of analysis of
wall papers sold on the American mar
ket. The analyses were carried out by
H. ]. Warner, assistant chemist, Bu-
reau Of Chemistry, and the collabora-
ton by ]. K. Haywood, chief, insecti-
eide and agricultural water laboratory.
The cases cited are astonishing. The
patients, sometimes individuals in a
house, at other times whole families,
and occasionally inmates of whole in
stitutions, develop organic disturb
ances. After being treated first for
one thing and then another, without
relief, and constantly growing worse,
with symptoms aggravated, the trou-
Bile is finally located in the wall paper
or in the uniforms of the nurses. or in
some similarly impossible source of in
lection.
The patient complains of pains in the
eyes, nose and different parts Of the
body, restless nights and a feeling OF
lassitude and depression In the day,
with dyspepsia in one form or another.
PARIS GREEN IN WALL PAPER.
The case is cited of physician who
had suffered for several years from
occasional attacks of gastric and in
testinal disturbances, attended with
fever and inability to do either mental
or physical work. During a period Of
house-cleaning the walls Of his office,
which were covered with q handsome
green velvet paper, were swept down
with a broom. The doctor, who was
an observant individual, noticed
dark green powder on the floor along
the walls among the sweepings, which.
upon analysis. was found to be al
most pure paris green"
paperhanger was sent for to re-
move the paper and after working a
few hours he was seized with all the
symptoms of acute arsenical poisoning
and was obliged to desist. Another
who took his place to finish the job
suffered the same way on the follow
ing day. 1t was discovered that at
some former time the ceiling had been