the Quicksilver Minei of Idria in Illyr'ia. S31 



easily conceived that this kind of affection is tl.e more com- 

 mon, as the workmen when they come out of the mine, the tem- 

 perature of which is very high, perspire abundantly, and take 

 no precaution to avert the bad effects of the cold air, even du- 

 ring winter : they walk for half an hour at the interval of meals, 

 &c. with the breast uncovered*. Colds and catarrhs are there- 

 fore very common during winter, but contagious diseases are ex- 

 ceedingly rare. 



The disease which most affects the inhabitants of this coun-« 

 try, and which is also common in Carniola, is the tooth-ache ; 

 person? of both sexes are subject to it, and even the young. 

 Every person loses the teeth very early in this climate, and it is 

 rare to find a person with good teeth. It is true that they are 

 all careless with respect to their teeth. Pedicular diseases are 

 almost unknown among them, but scrophulous cases are very 

 common. 



The common people of the lllyrian provinces, and even those 

 around them, have imbibed a prejudice that it is sufficient to live 

 in Idria to lose one's health: a thousand stories are told, to prove 

 that the mercurial vapours there inhaled render the air injurious 

 to health. 



This prejudice is unfounded: no atmosphere is more steady; 

 its pressure is nearly alwavs the same, and better health is 

 there enjoyed than in the other part of the provinces. I have 

 seen manv sick persons from Lavbach, both Frenchmen and 

 natives, come to Idria, and there get well more promptly than 

 they could anvwhere else. Among the French who resided there 

 four years, and who were conseijuently incessantly exposed to 

 the combined action of the air and mercurial substances, with 

 which one would suppose it impregnated, not one ever ex- 

 perienced any of the symptoms supposed to result from inhaling 

 this metal. The nature of mv duty compelled me to be con- 

 tinually exposed to emanations from the preparations of this 

 metal, and the metal itself; and I never felt the slightest incon- 

 venience, nor the slightest tooth-ache, whilst the inhabitants 

 were most severely affected by it. 



It is true, however, that the workmen who are employed in 

 the very painful labours of sweeping the chambers of condensa- 

 tion of the mercury in the furnaces, are those who really expe- 

 rience all the deleterious effects of the metal while they are ex- 

 ecuting tills operation. In fact, these workmen, beina; for two 

 hours in an atmosphere of mercurv in the state of pulverwlent 

 oxide in extremely minute division, inspire a considerable quau • 



* The clotliing of tlic miiinrs when at work consists of a jacket of brown 

 or hlack cloth, breochcs, stockings, shirt, and Ijat or bonnet, with shoes or 

 rallier boof^; all of iht- worst kintk 



tity 



