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SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIX. No. 472 



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ARSENICAL POISONING FROM DOMESTIC FAB- 

 RICS. 



Physicians loDg ago associated a certain class of symp- 

 toms with the presence of arsenic in the wall papers of the 

 rooms inhabited by their patients. Of course, so long as the 

 question was in this condition there was abundant room for 

 mistake, and all that had been observed might be explained 

 by some chance coincidence. It now appears that whenever 

 the class of symptoms referred to are well marked there is 

 arsenic present in the urine. It further has been shown in a 

 number of cases that when the suspected wall paper was re- 

 moved the arsenic disappeared from the urine of the patient, 

 and the symptoms disappeared as well. The number of 

 cases is large in which these points have been made: a cer- 

 tain class of symptoms, arsenic in the wall paper, arsenic in 

 the urine of patients, wall paper removed, arsenic disappears 

 from the urine, symptoms disappear in proportion. 



Of course this is not absolute proof that the arsenic came 

 from the wall paper, but, after a large number of cases of 

 the same sort, the evidence amounts to moral proof, and it 

 is rare in medicine to obtain evidence that is more conclu- 

 sive. 



How the arsenic gets from the wall pap 

 another question; but, although it would 

 establish this point, the proof of the modus 

 essential so far as the legal aspects of the ca: ,.uea. 



Without this last proof it is easy to throw dust m the eyes of 

 those not versed in such inquiries, but protective legislation 

 has been taken again and again in cases where the risk is 

 far less than here. 



" The question how the injurious effects are produced by 

 arsenical colors in our domestic fabrics is a moot point, some 

 thinking it arises from arsenical dust, others holding to the 

 gaseous theory.'' ' 



' Lecture on our Domestic Poisons, by Henry Carr, London, Health Exhlbi- 

 ticn Literature of 1884, Vol. IX., p. 189. 



A New York chemist testified in a hearing on the subject 

 in Boston, " [ iound that a botanist named Selmi, in experi- 

 menting on mould, found it produced a little hydrogen, and 

 he invented the suggestion that the mould on the back of 

 wall paper might produce a little hydrogen, which might 

 unite with the arsenic on the front of the paper, and produce 

 arseniuretted hydrogen, which might account for the popu- 

 lar idea that arsenical wall paper was dangerous." 



This ''botanist named Selmi," who may have the advan- 

 tage of a knowledge of that science also, is an Italian chem- 

 ist of first-class reputation, who has been publishing his 

 work for at least eighteen years since 1874, and has devoted 

 himself lately more especially to physiological chemistry. 

 He is mentioned in Henry Watts's "Dictionary of Chemis- 

 try," Third Supplement, p. 122 (1879), by this referepce, "On 

 the detection of Arsenic in Tosicological Investigations, see 

 Selmi (Gazz. Chim. Ital., II. 544)." An interesting paper 

 has lately been issued by the Italian Ministry of the Interior 

 from the scientiSc laboratories of the Bureau of Health, un- 

 der the direction of Professors A. Monari and A. Di Vestea, 

 prepared by one of Selmi's countrymen, Dr. B. Gosio, assis- 

 tant in these laboratories, the following translation of which 

 I am sure will interest your readers and assist in the solution 

 of this problem. George S. Hale. 



Action of Microphytes on Solid Compounds of Arsenic : A 

 Recapitulation, by Dr. B. Gosio.' 



It is well known that, under certain conditions, poisonous 

 products may be developed from wall papers and tapestries 

 colored witli arsenical colors (Scheele's green, Schweinfurth's 

 green), and experience has repeatedly demonstrated the seri- 

 ous evils that may arise from their use. 



But as to the internal mechanism by which the said col- 

 oring-matters become hurtful, many doubts remained, and 

 on certain points perfect obscurity. The idea advanced by 

 Selmi met with favor, viz,, that poisonous gases may in such 

 cases be produced by the vital processes of microphytes; but 

 in -view of the small range of his experiments (some of which 

 gave results adverse to his theory although tried on a large 

 scale) the preference is given, on the whole, to the theory of 

 William Forster. He says that wall-hangings and tapestries 

 containing arsenical colors are poisonous by reason of the 

 solid particles that are mechanically set free from them and 

 penetrate the organism wlieu inhaled in the form of fine 

 dust. The same conclusion was reached by Giglioli of Na- 

 ples after eight months of experiment on mould-cultures in 

 earths (both solid and broken up in water), mixed with ar- 

 senious anhydride; and he exnla'"'"' ' ' '" '""^ ^^ a^iiT. 



ing that proha>>'- 



_ ^t me paicii.iv^ ,.„ j^ 



.^^1 meir observations only general crite- 

 , ..dve not been able, thus far, to point out what micro- 

 organisms are peculiarly suited to bring about the modifica- 

 tions of substance to which they refer; nor have they deter- 

 mined whether all the compounds of arsenic, or, if not all, 

 which of them are most susceptible of these modifications. 

 Thus, Bischoff relates that it was noticed that from a mixture 

 of flour and common white arsenic (which had been used to 

 poison a horse for purposes of revenge) a gas was developed 

 which had the smell of garlic and the characteristics of ar- 

 seniuretted hydrogen. But he neither states how it was found 



' This study was communicated in advance to the last Congress of Hygiene, 

 beld In London, where the preparations were also exhibited. 



