On Two Plates of Stratigraphical Sections of the Taconic Ranges by Prof. James Hall
Jules Marcou · Science · 1886
IS*CIEAT CE.sates that the danger has heen exaggerated."So far is this from being the case, and so great is t,he r e d danger, that I beg space for the presentation of some facts.The immediate cause of the present investigation was a letter published in the Boston Hez-ctlcl on Jan. 1'3,in which I gave a detailed account of sufferings in our own honse due to arsenic in the wall-papers, and involving all the inembers of the household.Since that time many persons have published similar accounts in the Boston papers.Abscracts of twenty-two such letters appeared in the Boston Aclvertiser of March 2 and 12, fourteen of the same appearing in the Boston Herald of March 2 ; and in the four hearings given by the public health committee to the petitioners a mass of evidence was presented which rnust have convinced any unprejudiced mind.The committee have not yet made their report to the legislature, but it is expected that they wili soon do so.The statement has alreauy been qnblished in the Boston papers, that the conlnlittee will reco~nrnend legislation, and it would be a matter of great surprise if they should do otherwise, -a surprise even to those who are trying to defeat legislation.Scieltce also adds, "Prof.C. F. Chandler testified.that, from careful experiments, under no conditions could arsenical poisoning occur through breathing arseniuretted hydrogen from wall-paper, and that the only source of danger would be froin friction alone."In point of fact, Professor Chandler's testimony was much stronger than this.He not only stated that he believed the generation of arseniuretted hydrogen from arsenical wall-papers to be impossible, but he also said of this gas that he considered ' a small quantity comparatively har~nless.'