40 



ARSENIC IN PAPERS AND FABRICS. 



A comparison of the data given in Table VII with the results 

 obtained by Leach in Massachusetts in 1900 on dress goods, exclusive 

 of stockings, is given in Table VIII. 



TABLE VIII. Comparison of results obtained in 1900 and 1903 on dress goods. 



It would appear from this that no efforts have been made by man- 

 ufacturers during the last three years to improve their method of dye- 

 ing certain classes of dress goods so as to eliminate arsenic, or that, 

 at least, if such efforts have been made they have been chiefty con- 

 fined to those goods which are to be sold in the State of Massachu- 

 setts, which has laws governing this subject. 



Although, as mentioned above, there has been an improvement in 

 dress goods during the last thirteen years, yet with 11 per cent of 

 our dress goods containing enough arsenic to be injurious to health 

 the situation is far from satisfying. When it is taken into consid- 

 eration that, next to food, dress goods are used more largely than 

 practically any other manufactured article, it will be seen how far- 

 reaching the consequences may be of allowing such a practice to 

 go on unchecked. 



In Table IX are given the results of the examination of samples of 

 stockings which would be classed as " fabrics to be used as articles of 

 dress." 



TABLE IX. Arsenic content of stockings. 



