In 1874, Dr. Robert Kedzie from Michigan published “Shadows from the Walls of Death”, the Polish title of which is “Shadows from the Walls of Death”. On its pages, he included conclusions from the research and a warning against using arsenic-stained room wallpapers, popular at that time.
A lecturer from Michigan had a theory. He quickly proved the point
In the second half of the 19th century, not only scientists but also average eaters knew that arsenic was a poison that could kill. However, few people were aware that the same substance was used to decorate the wallpapers that decorated the interior walls in most homes. Dr. Robert Kedzie, who was then working as a chemistry lecturer at the University of Michigan, decided to take a closer look at this issue. He quickly realized that over time, microscopic particles of arsenic dust were released from the material, which, when inhaled by household members, could seriously deteriorate their health and even lead to death.
He described his observations in the above-mentioned article, explaining that this process is slow and manifests itself as a mysterious disease that is difficult for doctors to identify. On 86 pages he included samples of wallpapers that he managed to obtain from local sellers. He printed one hundred copies of “Shadows from the Walls of Death” and sent them to Michigan, warning them to be careful when using them.
Out of 100 copies, only 4 have survived. Where are they?
Although the doctor assured that following safety measures meant that reading this title would not pose a threat, many people were still afraid of poisoning and most libraries decided to dispose of the dangerous book. In this way, only 4 copies have survived to this day, one of which is at Michigan State University. However, care was taken to ensure that they were no longer a threat to readers, so each page was protected with a special foil, which makes it possible to touch it freely. – Previously, readers could only look at the book wearing special gloves. They were also instructed not to lick their fingers while turning pages while reading – .
The remaining copies went to one of the libraries in Michigan, Harvard and the United States National Library of Medicine. It is this latter facility, which is the world’s largest medical library, that decided to make the book available in the form of scans, which are available online here. However, the process of creating them was extremely time-consuming and required additional security for both the publication and people nearby.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
