Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace The hazards of 1860s apparel by Mary Deneau, 19th Michigan Social Media Officer, Costume Committee

Some of you may remember the play and subsequent movies and remakes titled “Arsenic and Old Lace.” It’s a classic. In the story, Mortimer takes his new wife home to meet his family and discovers that his aunts have been murdering lonely old men with a glass of homemade wine “laced” with “arsenic, strychnine, and just a pinch of cyanide” and burying them in their cellar. While the play and movie are fictitious, there is an element of truth in the title.

Poison has long been a method of murder in myths and legends as well as real life. Slipping drops of poison, or dumping powder from a secret-compartmented ring into someone’s drink comes to mind. In reality it could actually be put on clothing to be absorbed through the skin of one’s enemy. Or, it could intentionally be applied to fabric in the manufacturing process to achieve a desired effect.

Prior to the invention of aniline dyes, certain colors were difficult to produce. Green was one of these colors. It is believed that green apparel became more popular as green in nature was disappearing in big cities. It was originally made by combining blue and yellow dyes, but the result was that it was not colorfast, faded easily and a deep emerald green that kept its same color in both natural and artificial light was not easily produced. The new green that met these requirements was produced by chemists. Most of the compounds contained arsenic trioxide combined with copper. This green was a pigment, not a dye, so it can be found in paintings, wallpaper (particularly toxic) and even children’s toys. And we thought lead paint was bad! But we’ll get to lead in a bit.

There are documented cases of young women who worked in the silk flower factories who used arsenical green dust to color the leaves and then died from inhaling the dust or from absorbing it through their skin. This was not restricted to factory workers. Artificial flower-making kits were sold to consumers so you could enjoy the art of poisoning yourself from the comfort of your own home. Or, you could simply wear these garments and accessories and become very sick. Heat often added to the problem.

Child’s green shoes, from my collection Arsenic was released in flakes from wallpaper, or produced arsenic gas when conditions were warm and damp. Crowded, warm places could cause a person to sweat, speeding up the absorption through the skin. Women wearing green clothing could endanger others in close proximity to them and a dance partner was at risk, especially when dancing the waltz, as that particular dance involved holding a lady closely and potentially breathing in arsenic dust from a lady’s headdress or getting it on the partner’s hands. Even with the practice of wearing gloves to dance, you would remove them to eat or drink, and you would handle the gloves to remove them and carry them, thus transferring the poison to your hands, your food and so on. Symptoms of skin exposure to arsenic included rashes and painful skin eruptions. Prolonged contact is thought to lead to skin cancer, and of course, death was always a possibility.

Thus, the term “poison green” was invented. The color green became associated with poison and bad luck, and even after the invention of safer methods of obtaining the color, some people avoided it. Even today we can watch a scary movie and we just know that witch’s bubbling cauldron of green brew, or the glass bottles of green powders and liquids in the mad scientist’s laboratory indicate poison.

Green dress from my personal collection

Sadly, it doesn’t have to be green to contain arsenic! There were other colors that could contain arsenic trioxide, also known as “white arsenic”. Aniline dyes were chemical compounds rather than dyes obtained from natural (plant) sources. These dyes enabled chemists to produce rich colors not seen in previous

years. If a chemist could produce a color much sought after, their financial future was secure. Another chemical, nitrobenzene, or nitrobenzol as it was sometimes called, smelled like bitter almond essence. Though it was a toxic chemical,” it was used as a scent in perfume, hair and face creams, soaps, even in candies, marzipans and liqueurs”. (1). It was also used as a fabric dye, but it is still used today in lubricating oils. “Nitrobenzene is highly toxic and readily absorbed through the skin. Prolonged exposure may cause serious damage to the central nervous system, impair vision, cause liver or kidney damage, anemia and lung irritation.” (Google). Williiam Henry Perkin, while trying to find a way to synthetically produce quinine as a treatment for malaria, found that the black coal-tar solution he was using could produce a purple dye for textiles. Purples and mauves were the result and they became very popular “new” colors. Being fashionable was not without problems, however. The weekly humor and satire magazine, “Punch”, in August 1859, describes the symptoms of the “mauve measles”, a purplish-red rash that appears on the skin from wearing clothing of this color.

Headdress from my collection

Black mourning veils, called a “weeping veil” or “widows’ weeds” were made of silk crape (according to one source it is spelled crape instead of crepe if it refers to mourning). Due to the dyes and chemicals used to process the fabric these veils could cause respiratory issues, skin irritation, blindness and death. When crape got wet, either from water or sweat, it would stain the skin. Ironically, the instructions to remove the stains from the skin were often toxic as well. I have seen articles cautioning against wearing veils of the period unless you have it tested first. Of course, as historical preservationists we never recommend wearing antiques because body oils can ruin old textiles.

Given that black veils were used for mourning and mauve was allowed for half mourning, it makes you wonder what the fashion industry had against widows. I found references to poisonous garments well into the 20th century so use caution regardless of the age of the garments and accessories. Remembering the poisonous silk leaves discussed earlier, we need to consider all parts of the garments and accessories we might come into contact with. Red was a popular color, especially for socks, and the chloroxynitric acid used in the making of it caused rashes and blistering of the skin on the feet and ankles. If the socks were red striped, the rash appeared in strips around the leg. This led some manufacturers to seize the opportunity to offer natural-colored stockings.

Taxidermists used soaps containing arsenic to preserve animal skins, particularly that of birds. Complete birds were stuffed and used as adornments on hats and bonnets in huge numbers, and I even observed a round feather hand fan at a Grand Rapids, Michigan museum that was carried to Lincoln’s 2nd inaugural ball by a Michigan woman. It had a stuffed warbler mounted on the face of it.

On the topic of hats, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the hat making process which involved the use of mercury, or quicksilver. It was very popular for men to wear hats made of felted beaver hair. Some hat makers passed off “beaver” hats felted from rabbits or any other furry creature, some accounts indicate even rats and mice were used. Beaver was coveted because it did not lose its shape when wet, unlike sheep’s wool felt. Beaver was naturally waterproof. The process for felting required the hair to be removed from the skin and “felted”, which is the process of interlocking, or tangling the fibers to form a permanent structure. Think of a pile of brush and trying to untangle the interwoven sticks, or think of trying to separate the strands of hair you pull from your hairbrush. It requires friction or agitation to interlock the fibers and, in modern day felting, soap and water aid in the process. But instead of soap and water, the 19th century method of felting used a mercury and acid solution to interlock the hairs. That, along with pressure and heat, formed the “fabric” of felt.

Once in the felt, in the body, or in the soil surrounding the factories, mercury stays put. Symptoms of mercury poisoning included numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, and face, but if continually exposed, it caused neuromotor system impairment (uncontrollable shaking) and emotional changes such as mood swings, irritability, nervousness or reclusive behavior. It is surprising that they were able to continue to make hats when many could sign their name no more than a scribble. Hat makers, or hatters as they were called, were often thought to have mental illness, thus came about the term “mad as a hatter.” Men who wore the hats were exposed to mercury too, though not as much, and not for as long-term as the hatters. Mercury was also used in other processes, such as the photographic process of making daguerreotypes, exposing photographers to the substance. Mercury is thought to be one of the most toxic substances that

Lead was used in many products for centuries, such as face powders and rouge, because it made the colors opaque. It was found to cause something called lead palsy, a condition that caused the hands to droop and become unable to function. At times it caused entire paralysis of the arms. While this sounds horrifying, you might be surprised to learn that lead is still found in some lipsticks today. Because it is considered a contaminant, not an ingredient, the manufacturers are not required to list it.

The list could go on, but the bottom line is, if you own or handle antique garments, gloves, bonnets, headdresses, or even shoes, use caution when handling these items. At one time it was thought that heavily perfumed gloves could protect a person against poisons, but we now know this isn’t the case. I highly recommend using something more appropriate, such as non-permeable gloves and a facemask until you know for certain the beautiful artifact you are holding isn’t toxic.

David, Alison Mathews, Fashion Victims, London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2015 Meier, Allison, Death by Wallpaper: The Alluring Arsenic Colors that Poisoned the Victorian Age, Hyperallergic.com October 31, 2016 book review of: Bitten by Witch Fever: Wallpaper & Arsenic in the Nineteenth Century Home by Lucinda Hawkesly, Thames and Hudson, 2016

Message to the Troops

Members of the N-SSA, Greetings- Hello- Howdy! I truly hope this message finds you preparing for the Spring Skirmish Season along with good health and well-being. The recent down time has been filled with sorrow for many of us as we have lost some key members in the N-SSA. The empty chairs around the table are numerous and will never be filled again with skirmishers of the same character. Most notably for me was the recent passing of John A. Sharrett, III. As many of you may know, John was a founding member of the Dismal Swamp Rangers , along with Dick Dodd. John had served the Dismal Swamp Ranger for years holding every office including commander during his 60 plus years of active service.

John had served as Tidewater Regional Commander, N-SSA Deputy Commander, National Commander, Tidewater regions Historian and many different committee that support operations of the N-SSA. John’s passing has left a huge hole in our team and will have an additional impact on the N-SSA as he was so involved in so many of the activities that we take for granted. John was a huge supporter of the N-SSA, financially and in work effort. The projects he lead and participated in are too numerous to list but include:

The new lamps in memorial park, the signs for the historical center and Sutlers Row, the restoring of the bell near the millstone, installing a light at registration, painting the flag poles , restoring the lamps on the bridge , trimming the trees at both the entrance and exit roads, and the list goes on and on. My challenge to each of you is to pick up where John left off and continue his efforts to support the fort. If you see something that needs to be done, gather the troops and get started!

Locally, in the Tidewater region as we prepare for the new season we plan to have a memorial salute to John at the DSR skirmish in March as well as a recognition at the Spring regional. John was so supportive of offering his labor to continue to enhance the site of Fort Mahone, the regional range that Tidewater uses. To say he will be missed is an extreme understatement. On a recent visit to the fort last year, I stopped by the N-SSA Museum and met with Gary Crawford to see what progress has been made on preparing the facility to be opened to the public. There has been lots of work done but there is still quite a bit of continued refurbishment needed. The museum is in need of glass display cases- if you have a source or would like to support the purchase please reach out to me and I will relay the information. Donations for new cases are also needed, dig deep and send your extra change Gary’s way!

We all look forward to the new season- re-establishing old friendships, crafting new ones and enjoying our unique brand of competition hope each of you have had the opportunity to cast rounds, repair and build new projects and get your gear and uniforms in order. The Skirmish Season is now upon us- so let’s get out there and burn some powder and create some smoke! Also please Keep in touch with your team mates- call or send them a note. Most of all just communicate and keep in touch. See you soon on the skirmish line!

I remain in your service, Mike Davenport 5494V

EDITOR NOTE~ Regional Commanders every issue there is a spot for you to address the organization. Send me a email to nssaeditor@gmail.com. Use this as your time to address your region, the organization or whatever you choose. This is your magazine, feel free to utilize it.