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Bia

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#Sr^-

oSLSj E IP O 12/ T>o

OF A

MEETING OF THE

MONTREAL NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.

P^ A P E R ON

ARSENICAL POISONING,

-DUE TO-

THE COMMERCIAL SND DOMESTIC USES OF

ARSENIC.

Re-Printed from the " Montreal Herald " of January 19TH, 1886.

• ••, ...

.1' ' • •* • . • •

j^rn j^ is^^jETiitTa-

-OF THE-

Natural History Society of Montreal,

The President, Sir William Dawson, LL.D., F.R.S., in the Chair,

THE POTLf»WINa TAPER WAS READ BY

DR. J. BAKER EDWARDS, F.O.S.,

Public Analyst for the Montreal District of Inland Eevenue.

Mr. PrepiHent and Gentlemen :

The recent outbreak of the epidenoic of
enal pox in our midst, and it-t viworouH
extinction, illuntrate mo^t forcibly, firstly,
that if tlie knowledge we poaseuM is prac-
tically applied dineasemay be euccesnfully
com batted and stamjed out; whereas,
secondly, it is equally clear that *' preven-
tion" would have been ''better than cure,"
and that had we applied our knowledge at
the right time we should have escaped
this fatal and injurious calaa.ity. 'J'he
ecience of Lygiene is directed to the eradi-
cation of preventible disease, and should
also, I think, cover preventible loss of
life by accident or poihon ; moreover, loss
of health should be regarded as next in
importance to loi^s cf life. Recent eventti
have called my attennon to the careless
(if not crimina') use of arsenic sold for
domestic purposes as a rat poison, by
which eleven persons suffered severe
sickness and had their lives endanger-
ed in this citv, since whicn
a similar case has occurred in Ottawa
Five members of a family residing there
had an ^qnally narrow escape while eating
their Christmas dinner, from the same
dargerous weapon, " Kongh on Rats," a
poit-oii which contains some 90 per cent, of
white arsenic ; a box ofwiich is sold by
grocers and druggists for 15 cents, contain-
ing enough poison to cause the death of
200 jdersons. The law regulating the sale
of poisons for the Province of Quebec re-
quiren the registration of the sale of
ar^enic and arsenical preparations sold as
such, but this subt-tance sold under the
*' nom de plume" of "Rough on Rats,"
being " registered trade mark," escapen
this restriction. So many accidents arise
from its use that some druggists refuse to
keep or to sell i:, and representations will
Ite made to the Goverumentin c nsequence
of these accidents, which will probably
restrict or prevent its sale in the future.

Now that the attention of the pnHlfc has
been calltd to this subject, I think it tuay

be useful to sound the alarm in respect of
the extensive and dangerously increasing
use of arsenic in manufactures, agriculture
and domestic clothing and furnishing, as I
believe the public generally is unaware of he
extent to which families are ulcousciouh-
ty brought into contact with this poison,
and thereby become liable to suffer pro-
tracted ill-health, or even fatal result.
For arsenic is said to have four distinct
forms of action, varying with the dose and
the mode of admin -itration, and with
the s usee ntibi lily or idiosyncrasy of the
patient. These tonus of action are known
as :—

1 The acute.

2. The sub-acute.

.S. The nervous.

4. The chronic.

As some of these eimu'ate forms of dis-
ease in inflammatory action, the real cause
is often unsuspected. I propose to bring
under your attention the danger arising
from the handling of arsenic in

MANUFACTURES, AGRICULTURE AND DOMESTIC

USES.

ARSENICAL MANUFACTURES.

In the smelting of arsenical ores, such
as cobalt, nickel, iron and copper, it is
well known that the arsenical fumes in-
juriously affect the health of the workmen
so employed ; and from the tall smoke
stacks or giant chimneys of Glasgow,
Lancashire and Cornwall, a prevailing
steady wind, or current of air will often
carry the t^moke contiuning these fumes
over a distance of a mile or two, destroying
vegetation by the vapor of oxidized sul-
phur, and covering hedges, herbage and
f>jliage with a fine white hoar fr st of
arsenic which proves fatal to sheep and
cattle so imprudent or so famished as to
pat-take of it. In the manufacture of shot
and of glas-J, arsenic is an essential ingre-
dient, and is used in large quantities, and
the .'^urroujiding air is contatuinated by the
fumes proceeding from these furnaces.

In the raanufact'i'i of oil of vitriol from
arsetiical pyrites, much danger arises, m-
afliiiuch as tlie a'senic remains disfolved in
the acid and may thus i»'i«h into the salts
made therefrom ; taus Epsom Salts has
b^en found to contain arnenic due to
impurity, and hydroclil iric or muriatic
acid frequently coatuins arsenic from the
eamp source.

A case of extensive poisoning occurred
in Lou'ion a few years since, arising from
the use of arsenical muriatic acid in the
manufacture of bread by Dr. Dagliesh's
process, for which rea«ou cream of tartar
is now generally substituted la baking
powder and in self raising flour.

In cases, however, where acid phos-
phates are substituted for cream of tartar,
a danger of the presence of arsenic from
the use of impure sulphuric acid still
exists.

I am gla<l, however, to be able to state
that after the examinatioi of a large num-
ber of samples of bread, baking powder,
flour and other bread-tuft-(, I have not
found any such contamination in the
Montreal district.

AGRICULTURAL USES.

Another source of dauijer arises, especi-
ally in country districts, from the free use
of arsenic and arsenical poisons, such as
'• Paris Green" and " London Purple" for
the prevention of smut in seed wheat and
for the destruction of the potato bug, sheep
tick, and other noxious insects. The
quantity sold throuiihout the country for
this purpose i-i enormous, and leads to its
careless han(Uing. This applies especially
to '• Paris Green," which is sold in bulk
by country stort-keepers to farmers and
their households.

Much loss of poultry and cattle has
ensued from this careles-^ness and smie
]o«8 of life. Its free use in England has
led to much crime and accident, as the
published record for five years ending 1880
shows.

During this period sixty-seven deaths
were registered as due to arsenic; of these
28 were suicidal, 2 were cases of murder
and 37 due to accident or negligence, viz.,
in fact preventible.

The unrestricted sa'e of arsenical poiS'.iJ
and its careless and superabundant use in
country districts has often atiected green
crops, such as cabbige, spinach and small
fruits, so as to cause illness to those usmg
these fruits and vegetables ; but the evil
extends b yond this, and will, if persevered
in, poison the streams, percolate into the
wells, and thus be a source of fatal loss
both of man and beast. This danger also
arises from the use of arsenical soap for
sheep wasaing (before shearing) in streams
and brooks, and I am of opiaioa that

these arsenical poisons shou'd only be sold
in sealed packages or boxes, fully labelled
with directions for use, and never supplied
in bulk to the farmer.

DOMESTIC USES 01-' ARSENIC.

I now piss I to the principal subject of
interest to vou, viz., the danger of arrieni-
cal Moisjn from its domestic usen -. —

1st. its use as a poison for vermin is at-
tended with d.. iger, especially in the dis-
guised form of" itough on Rats." Equally
HO in the form of " white arsenic," winch ia
is liable to be mistaken for cream of tartar
or any other white powder, and mixed
with fljur may enter into the family naeal
by oversight ;'or find its way into malicious
hands and tempt to crime, for there is
nothing so fatal as opportunity.

2nd. But even arsenical food is a re-
mote danger hs compared with the risks
we frequently i;nd unconsciously run of in-
haling or absorbing arsenic from arsenical
pigments in water tints and wall papers,
ulso from clothing but little suspected,
such as red fianneis, red maroon and brown

and glazed
cretonnes

stockings, etc., etc.

In the last report of the "Massachusetts
State Board of Health," the following are
enumerated as among tlie "principal
sources of domestic poisoning'': —

Wall papers, glazed papers for wrapping
confectionery, patterns and cards for chil-
dren in Kindergarten schoole, theatre and
concert tickets, playing cards, cover-i of
paper boxes, colored labels
uamphlet covers, cloiliing, and
for furniture, glazed calico curtains, paper
collars and cuffs, lini g of hats, artUicial
dowers and leaves, children's toys, colored
confectionery, aniline dyes, "German fly
paper," ''pipier moure," "carpet moth
poison," pile carpets, kamptulicon and oil
cloths. It is also frequently used in laun-
dry starch, paper hangers' paste, calen-
dered cotton and gbized linens.

DANGEt OF WALL PAPERS AND "TINTS."

Dr. Alfred Swain iaylor, the eminent
toxicologist, in his evidence befirethe
House of Lords in 1857, first directed the
attention of the medical profession to the
numerous ca^es of chronic poisoning by
arsenic from the use of wall papei-s, es-
pecially those flock papers of a green and
red cobr, from some of which he obtained
as much a^ 14 and 17 grains of arsenic per
square foot, and from some Leavy flock
papers even 59 per cent by weight of
arsenic. In a damp and drying couditioa
these papers generate and emit arsen-
iuretted hydrogen (Arsenide of Hydrogen)
gas, containing 1 grain of arsenic per cubic
inch.

At the time of Dr. Taylor's publication

some eminent medical men doubted the

possibi'ity of grave etlects proceeding, as

I suppoeed, from so minute s cause ; but.

their own experience afterwarHs proved to
them the correctness of Dr. Taylor's »f-
eertions lAnd further experience disclosed
a far more extensive amourit of sutfering
fiom tLis cause than had been previouHly
supposed. Thus, Dr. Hinds, Dr. Hailey,
and Dr. 8au"ders Bruton experienced
these effects in their own persons or fami-
lies, and on removal of tiie obnoxious paper
soon recovered health, and then became
active supporters of Dr. Taylor's views.

In 18T9 Mr. Jabez Hogfr, author of a po-
pular work on the microHCope, presided over
acomaiittee of inquiry appointed by the
Medical Society of London He stales in
an interealing brochure on the subject
published in the " Journal of Science "
for last September [a reprint of which our
friend, Mr. E. Murphy, has presented to
the library], as follows :

" In a few weeks, no less than fifty-four
** cai*es of poisoning from arsenical wall
•• papers were reported to the committee,
" twenty-four of these being from the
" families of medical men ! And the dif-
*' ference in the symptoms described,
** showed how difficult is the diagnosis of
•• such cases where poison is not suspected,
" as dirterent individuals show different
" degrees of susceptibility and varying
"symptoms, one person complaining of
" chronic sore throat, another of intiaiiied
eyes, and a third of nervous proilration,
Some are immediately relieved on a
change of atmosphere, and the symptoms
only recur on returning to the vitiated
room. Others eutfer from na^al catarrh
chiefly and get cliillel in the open air.

ANECDOTE OF THE Ql'EEN AT OSBORNE.

Mr. Hogg relates the following anecdote
of the famous water color artist, Mr. E. H.
Corbould, as an illustration of the "highly
susceptible" class of patients :

Mr. Corbould was executing a special
work for the Queen at O.^borue, and took
rooms at an hotel near the palace. HIm
bedroom was damp and the green wall
paper much discolored, and he suffered,
after passing two nights there, from what
he thought a very severe cold in his head.
" Her Majesty, ou hearing of his Illness,
gave instructions to an attendant to see to
his removal to Victoria Cottage, close to
Osborne, and to see tuat there was a good
fire in his bedroom and plenty of wraps
He found, accordingly, on his arrival, a
warm room, a cheerful Are, and every
comfort." After partaking of a little hot
iurandy and water, he glad'y crept into bed,
but in a few minutes felt a chil and was
glad to pile on another blanket, but in
vain, his teeth fairly chattered, sleep was
out of the question. He then betiiought
himself of his well-lined Spanish cloak and
made an effort to reach it ; to his horror he
could not move either arms or legs, Le was

paralyzed 1 He tried to get out of
bed, which produced a painful cramp
of the b )wels, which was immediately fol-
lowed by sickness, soon after which he
lost cunscii)usness, and remembered no
more of what had occurred. At 8 pm.
nexi. morning, hf was awakened by a loud
knocking at the door, and was scarcely
able to -ay '' Come in," and ask for a cup
of tea. In a few minutes the servant rt-
(urried with the tea, and pulled ud the
blind, he then opened his eyes, and seeing
the brilliant green of the bedroom paper,
exclaimed, " I am poi-oned," to the great
con^^ternation at d surprise of the servant.
He explained that he did not refer to the
tea, but to the paper, and she left him,
wondering still more. On attempting to
get out of bed, his legs gave way under
him, but he staggered to the window and
inhaled the fresh «ir, whii.h soon restored
him, and he was able to walk up to the
Castle. By the time he arrived every
disagreeable symptom had vanished.

The Queen was waiting for him, and re-
marked that he was late, on which he ad-
mitted his illness, described his attack,
and stated that he had been poisoned by
the wallpaper in his bedroom.

Her Majesty expressed great sympathy,
and at once commanded an attendant to
have a piece of the pip)er stripped from the
wall and brought to her. This was ijub-
mitted to chemical analysis and found to
be " highly arsenical."

" This interesting case," says Mr. Hogg,
" shows the extraordinary susceptibility of
some persona to arsenical poisoning from
this source. Tne remarkable activity of
the toxic agent may have been g-eatly pro-
moted by the tempf^iatwre of the room i^nd
t)y the fact of its litiving been now occu-
pied fur the first time since repapering and
paiuting.

The poison doubtle.-s entered the circu-
lation through the lungs in a gaseous
form [hydrogen arsenide], thus producing
anasthsia, arrest of the Heart's action and
paralysis of the nervous centres.

In some cases coma and death has en-
sued from the same cause.

In the greater number of cases arsenical
poisoning takes place slowly and insidious-
ly ; it begins with headache, dry cough,
oppressed breaching, giddiness and sieep-
lesMiiess J the limbs are painful, feeble,
trembling and benumbed.

In other instances it attacks the surface
of the body, cau^iing chronic skin disease,
or the fingers and aims are covered with
painful sores.

In an establishment where a hundred
young girls were constantly employed
making artificial flowers and leave-, the
greater number of them suffered from
eruptions and painful cracking of tke skin

, I

111

i
%'

[

of the fingers, and flexures of the arms.
Twenty-six of them presented other
symptoms of chronic poiHonirji";, and one
died after raontlis of great surtering from
ulcerations attacking various parts of her
body.

Workmen, while engaged in stripping off
old wall papers, containing arsenic, from
roomy, are frequently attacked with diarr-
hcBJi, and other stomach derangements.

Hundreds of instances of dangerous iil-
nesses have been published from time to
time, which fully confirm the reck-
iesH use of arsenical pigments in
various manufactures and the dan-
gers arising therefrom. Scheele's
Green consists of one part arsenious
acid, two parts oxide of copper. Schwein-
furt, Brunswick and Vienna, or Emerald
gieen and Paris green are ac?to-ftrsenites
of copper. They are all equally ^s poison-
ous as white arsenic.

lu wall paper printing the ars.nical pig-
ment is mixed with zinc and some organic
matter, causing it to adh*re to the paper,
muslin or calico, and on becoming dry the
pigment falls about as arsenical dust.
Formerly the use of arsenic was confined
to green papers, but since the danger of
these bas been exposed, green papers are
made equally brilliant, contaming no
arsenic. These, however, often contam
Prussian blue and chronoate of lead,
which, though less poisonous tlian arsenic,
are apt also to faill off in dust and are un-
wholesome materials to be inhaled in this
form.

[a the binding of Dr. Draper's article on
green papers, published in the Slate report
of Massachusetts for 1872, with samples
pasted tlierein in small stripes, it was
found necessary todiscontiuae the issue of
these samples, as the papers injuriously
affected the binders of the volume during
the short period of handling them,

These contained 60, 70 and 264 grains
respectively of arsenical poison to the
square vard of paper. The papers exhibit-
ed in the 1884 report by Prof. E. T. Wood
contain few green pigments, but other colors
eucti as pink^ drab, red and grey, are found
to be arsenical, yielding from 1 or 2 grains
up to 60 or 60 grains per square yard of
arsenic.

Thus arsenic is found in glazed and wall
papers and cards of every tint, and may
also be found mingled with lead in while
enamel glaze on cardboard.

FABRICS.

Woollen goods are frequently dyed with
arsenical, fuc-thine or aniline dye. Glazed
calicoes frequently contiiin it in the facing.
Muslin and tarlatan used for mosquito
curtains and for covering provisions and
picture frames, both green and yellow,
frequently contain a considerable quantity

of this poi8)Q. These should be well
washed before use, as the dust is most
irrita'ing to the eyes, and will surely be
distributed about the room.

AIISKNICAI. CARDS.

A case is also recorded by Mr. Hogg of
a lady who suffered painful soreness of the
tips of her finger- extending to the roots of
the naila, the tenderness always increasing
after playing cards, an amusement of
which she was very fond, and she usually
preferred green backed cards. By shuffling
ihecirds, and holding them in the warm
moist fingers a considerable quantity of
the arsenical pigment may be detached
and absorbed in the course of an even-
ing.

The discontinuance of the use of cards
soon caused a disappearance of thoue
symptoms and the cause was discovered
and avoided .

In one case upon analysis it was found
that each card contained 0.126 grs arsenic,
equal to 6J grains to the pack.

In another case each card contained
1.6 grs. equal to 8.3 grs. of arsenic and 47
grs* of oxiiie of copper to the pack.

ARSKNICAL BOOK COVER.

A curious case la narrated by Dr. Wood,
of a child iu Troy, N. Y. State, who made
a paint palate of a pamphlet with a bright
green cuver, on which he mixed his colors,
using a camel's hair brush, which he na-
turally, frequently transferred to his lips.
The puints were non-arsenical, but un-
foitunately the brisrht green cover of the
book was highly so, and upjn being thus
moistened was washed ofFand ab-iorbed by
the lips and tongue. The quantity of
arsenic must have b'-en very minute, but
circumstances were favorable for absorp-
tion, and the child highly susceptible, for,
ere he had finished his amusement, he fell
into successive convulsion", aud, though
antidotes were at once administered (the
paints being suspected) he suffered severely
for three days, and, only by incessant la-
bor, did the physicians save his life. On
investigation of the source of the poison,
the offending pamphlet, strange to say,
was found to be the annual report of the
New York Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children encased in this pretty
green poison-trap cover.

ARSENICAL GLOVES.

A gentleman, travelling, purchased in
HamtJurg a pair of marine blue gloves.
His hands, which became warm, absorbed
some of the arsenical pigment, and were
soon covered with a peculiar eruption,
and he suffered from general weakness.
The gloves contained a considerable quaa-
tity of arsenic.

ARSENIOAL RED STOCKINGS.

A gentleman purchased stockings dyed
with aniline red, in New Yorif, and

travelled to Chica«;o, wearing? these
throiiglj the nitjlit. He t'elt a tiiit;linK Hen-
Matiun in the bullo.v of the foot, which in-
creased, and Rore-4 opened ahoiit the ankle
and calf «jf the 1 ^. He applied to Dr.
Hurlhurt, of Chicago, who at once pro-
nounced it to be due to tlie poinonoun dvc,
and Hiuted that he had had Hfiy t^irnilur
cases within the previous three niontha.

The iientletiian was contined to bed for
ten dtt_v^, but it whh nix montliH before he
entirely recorered frou) the ill ttfct-'.

ABSENI04L OAMHItlC.

A lady who purchaHeci a dress, war-
ranted to wash and to be " Foulard cani-
b ic," with narrow strips of lij;ht and
'<ark blue, jiaviiig worn tlie drsHH daily for
a week in wiirui weather, cuff'ered from
Hicknews, debility, pain in the Htomach, au'l
iriH imiiiation of tbe eyes. The drefw, on
analysie, was found to contain oae-ualt
grain of arsenic to the f-quare foot.

ARSENICAL, FLY PAPERS.

Several fatal cases are recorded of chil-
dren wlio have tasted the paper or the
water set for flies. As this paper contains
a ve y soluble salt, viz , arseuite of soda,
it IS highly poisonous, causing convulsiuas
auQ dea.h in a few hours.

ARSENICAL TOYS.

The attraction of bright colors to the eye
of the child is well known to the toy maker,
Bnd ofli nes induces an excess of pigment,
of an '"jurious character, but when we
reti . !iow often these pretty things find
their w<»y into the teetliing baby's mouth,
we recogniz*' the importance of excluding
arsenic and chrome yellow from these pig-
lueuis. Ar-enic has been fouwd in toy
paints, building blocks, India rubber
dolls, covers of picture books, and toy
candles.

The latter, used for Christmas trees, are
especially dangerous, as the arsenic is dif-
fused into the room during burning in the
gaseous form, and is inhaled by tlie lungs.
A box containing 50 such candles has
been found to contain 35 grains of arsenic.
Arsenic is also an ingredient in the wicks
of telf~cou8um'ng patent candle.".

ARSENICAL SWEETMEATS.

I am glad to be uble to state that the u'-e
of mineral pigments in fancy sweets has
almost become a thing of the past. I have
examined a large number of every class
of sugar sweets and have met with no case
of arsenical or lead pigment in this die-
trict ; and the fact of an inspection being
regularly made, has had the effect of im-
proving the general quality of this class of
food.

I remember a sad case which CRine
under my notice in Liverpool. Five
childrea "were left by their parents

on Chridtraas Day with a large par-
cel of sweetmeats, of which they all
partook ; one child died in 12 hours, a sec-
ond, alout 3 years of age, in 114 houis j a
third, about 5 years old, in a week. The
two survivors were taken to the hospital
anil recovered, the lioy continuing to pass
arsenic.ll urine, at recurrent intervals, fjr
SIX weeks afier taking the sweettneats.

STUt't'fcl) HIKUS AND AXI.MALS.

It Should be burne in mini ; that arsenic
soap is la'gely uted in the preservation of
the skills of animals and birds, a.id that
mouuted specimens should be enclosed in
glass cases and not handled. Childrea
should not be allowed to play with them,
or servants to dust them, as much arsenic-
al dust may be bru-htd f'r.im them, which
might prove injurious to health. The art
of taxidermy is by no means a healthy
occupation, and although some men be-
come inured to the prison by use, still, in
dressing a large skin, such as a cariboo's
or a bear's skin, the operator ')sually suf-
fers more or less from arsenical symptoms.

ARSENIC EATING IN STYRIA.

The Workers in arsenic mines and some
of t.he Styrian peasants become inured to
habitual doses of arsenic, which would be
fatal to those unaccustomed to its use, four
to five giaiiis being a daily dose, but they
feel the usual irritating eymptoms if they
cease uning it, like the opium eater
and the coca chewer, they find it necessary
to continue the habit wheu once formed.

It is said that the corpses of these ar-
senic eaters are wonderfully preserved in
the g'ouud after interment, and that they
are found almost unchanged and recogniz-
able in feature some years after burial.
" Iq this part of the world," they c ay,
" when a graveyard is full it is shut up
'• for about 12 years, when all the graves
" wnich are not priva'.e property are dug
" up, the bones are colleced in thecharnet
" iiouse, the ground ploughed over, and
" burial bi^gins again."

EMBALMING THE DEAD.

This ,'eads me to the sibject of embalm-
ing, which has recently become a special
art of the undertaker. The process con-
sists of the injection into the veins of the
body a strmg arsenical solution. la one
Cise I know this led to an unjust suspicion
of poisoning, and an inquest being held,
and an analysis made, arsenic was found
injected into the coats of the stomach. In
this case the process was adopted wiihout
instruction and unknown to the relatives,
and might have involved serious complica-
tions, nad the source of the poison re-
mained undiscovered.

A disinterment lor th»j purpose of deter-
mining the presence of poison might
under euch circuiufetancee have led to very
erroneous conclusions.

LEOISLATIOV REQUIRED.

Now, if I liftve in *he foregoing narration
made out a ntrong ';aHe ugainet tl.e un-
necPHsary and careiens une of arHcnic and
areenical poison, 1 dare say yon will ask
me, '• Well, what are you going to do
abi)ut it? " I reply that I thiiiK in many
of the 0tt«eH the use of arsenic should te
prohibited altogdther, and that in all casen
It Rhould be regulated. AIho that the
public Rhould be made fully aware uf the
rif-kn which they incur in it8 handling,
and take due precaution in so doing

On tlie continent of Europe strict lavvH
are enforced ; for example in Germany : —

1st. Poisonous colors are forbidden to
be used in food or drink.

2nd. Articles of food muwt not be Kept
or cooked in vensels covered or coated with
poirtonoiiH material.

3ri. Poisonous color is forbidden in the
manufacture of toys, paper-hangings and
articles (.f apparel.

4th. The tale of such articles is stricl'y
prohibited.

IN RU38IA.

Ttie impor ation trom abroad a^ well as
the sale and manufacture in Russia of wall
papers, light tisues, wrapping papers,
chil<iren 8 V<y-', articles of food and sweel-
me»ts ct>ntaining arsenical pigments, also
the paper known ;\s '* papier itacre " shall
be pruhibited. The list of prohibited
colors contains pigments of lead, mercury,
arsenic, cobalt, copper, chromium and
antiaiony.

IN SWEDEN.

The prohibitory law enumerates the
above an i " other articles in water colors :
— excepting such as shall contain a mere
trace of arsenic from 50 square inches."

The same protiibition applies to " stuffs
textiles yarn, lamp shades, sealintr wax,
wafers, ca.idlee, and other substances, with
the similar exception of minute traces only.

IN AUSTRIA.

A decree was issued in 1876, prohibiting
the U3e of aniline colors of every kind, in
food and in fabrics, to be worn in contact
with the human body, also of mineral
waters containing arsenic, copper, lead,
zinc and other poisonous metallic prepar-
ations.

In Baden, Bavaria, Denmark, Hesse
Darmstadt and Saxony, similar re£"la-
tioDS have been made. In France and
Biijiland and the United Slates these
regulations only apply to articles of food
and drink, but vigorous efforts are being
made by sanitary reformers to extend these
prohibitory reyulations to the class of
articles which experience has proved to be
dangerous to the health and lives of the
community at large, a course which I
venture to think Canada would do well to
adopt.

Dr. T. Sterry Hunt remarked that he
had been much interested in the variety of
information which waq embraced in Dr.
E<1 wards' valuable paper.

It occurred to him that when he had
visited guld m'nes in the west, where ar-
senical pyr'tes are worked, to enquire
what became of all the arsenic, and he
found that this was accummulated to the
extent of hundreds of tons, and efforts had
been made to get rid of it by mixing it
with buperpbosphate of lime iD
manure for the purpose of de-
stroying burrowing insects, t)ut even this
did ant make much demand on this large
accumulation. He also ei quired whether
it atft-cted the health of the workmen, and
this was admitted, but it was stated that
ihej became inured to it, or if much
affected ceased this employment, and the
local irritation produced was relieved by
p lultices of oxide of iron, which appeared
to be the best antidote to its effects.

Mr. R. W. McLachlan enquired if it
poisoned grubs in the ground would it
not also kill the earth worms which
were now reckoned the most important
subsoil fertilizers. Dr. Hunt said he was
»ir»id the earthworms had been left out of
the calculation, but as a geologist he would
not like to los" them and perhaps if they
were poisoned the birds who lived upon
them would also be destroyed and the face
of nature would be changed for the worse.
Large quantities of arse'' " th soil

would certainly be dan/r* water

sources.

Dr. Wan less expressed ■ of

the paper from which be i^

great dea;.

Prof. Penhallow said soi; d

come under his notice which n. io

believe that skin eruptions from dyeu un-
derclothing were more common than us-
ually supposed. He also believed that
certain brands of cigarettes cal ed '* sweet "
contained either arsenical paner or some
other poison which caused a specific sore
throat or ulceration of the lips, and he
would direct Dr. Edwards' attention to
this source of poison. He hoped Dr. Ed-
wards would publish his paper in the
Record of Science.

Sir Wm. Dawsot<, in moving thanks
to Dr. Edwards for his contribu-
tion, said it was a practical and valu-
able paper, and he hoped it would
be published in the Record and have in-
fluence with ihe Government in adopting
proper restrictions on the sale and use of
sucti dangerous poisons.

Printed at the Office of the "MONTREAL HERALD,"