Arsenic is a natural metalloid and living organisms actually require it. It is present in almost all the drinking water on the planet. Long-term exposure can have serious health side-effects, but arsenic is quickly flushed from the system.
Besides the History Magazine article I cited before (http://www.history-magazine.com/arsenic.html) arsenic has also been used through the ages, notably by horse traders, to fatten aged and scrawney animals for sale. Arsenic was introduced into the animals diet gradually over a number of weeks, causing them to seem to "put on flesh." Withdrawing the arsenic quickly usually resulted in death. Medicinally, one of the best-known arsenic preparations is Fowler's Solution, which was used beginning in the 19th century to treat skin diseases, syphilis, digestive problems and other internal ailments. Another, melarsaprol, was prescribed to treat African sleeping sickness. Today we use arsenic in making pressure treated lumber-- which is why it should never be used indoors, or burned. Further reading about arsenic: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal/TXQAas.shtml Here's a story-- and it IS a story only-- about why the English nobility had white hair and why modern judges wear white wigs: http://www.chrononhotonthologos.com/lawnotes/arsenic.htm --Leslie Leslie Mundy, DCC Office Hours: M-W-F Noon-5:00 John Carter Brown Library, Box 1894, Brown University Providence, RI Just think... "Somewhere a butterfly, dreaming that it is Chuang Chou, flutters its wings and creates a distant hurricane." http://NewMoon2000.tripod.com/oneway/indexnavigator.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
