GAoP lead exposure

[MadRose]

From the Times today: "Over the centuries, doctors described disorders like “wrist drop,” in which housepainters using leaded paint would suddenly lose control of their wrist musculature, and “dry gripes,” a complaint among early American colonists that was linked to the drinking of West Indian rum that, as a result of its processing, was brimming with lead."

If West Indian rum was "brimming with lead", then sailors were probably affected, right? Does anyone have any leads on this?

The "dry gripes" were a condition in which the intestines would temporarily shut down. Other acute symptoms of lead poisoning: lead encephalopathy, attacks of coma, delirium, convulsions. Chronic symptoms: mental dullness, inability to concentrate, poor memory, headache, deafness, wrist drop (loss of muscle control in painters using lead-based paints), a blue line on the gums and transitory joint pain. (Historical Perspective to a Current Controversy on the Clinical Spectrum of Plumbism, by Jacqueline K. Corn

The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly. Health and Society © 1975 Milbank Memorial Fund)

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Some other symptoms of chronic lead poisoning were; Loss of head or limbs due to exposure to cannon fire, or permanent shut down of the bowels or heart or lungs from standing in front of a bluderbuss blast...

Sorry but I just couldn't let that one go by.

Bo

[Ransom]

Hmmm...Bo, I think those two symtoms are conditions of lead impact, or lead smashing. Neither (injury or victim) lasting long enough to actually poison.

[BriarRose Kildare]

Here is an interesting website I found...not sure if it will help or not.

http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/perspect/lead.htm

[Graydog]

Here is an article that talks breifly to the subject in the American Colonies: (It points out lead comes from the rums contact with lead pipes in the distilling aparatus - (therefore laws were passed making making lead pipes in distilling against the law.) and if kept in an earthware container, lead bleed from that container. It also notes that lead, in the form of an acetate, was a delibrate addition to fortified wines of the time.)

Put some lead in your tank

As fer me its not so much lead posioning I fear as it is a hemp contact high!

-Greydog

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Ransom... yeah I know but it is a long standing "joke" amongst us hillbillies that that this is the "fast acting kind of lead poisoning".

Graydog... I guess you don't like "Hanging" out with the hemp-heads?

Bo

[Graydog]

Tis a meal of gibbet and hemp that I would find to be most posioning to me health.

[Matty Bottles]

As fer me its not so much lead posioning I fear as it is a hemp contact high!

-Greydog

How high? I guess it depends on how tall the gallows is.

I don't often applaud puns, but I rather enjoyed that one.

[Matusalem]

Ben franklin wrote a letter to someone regarding lead poisoning...good to hear the words of somebody close to that era (well 1786)....and he mentions Rum!!!

Ben Franklin to Ben Vaughan

[Patrick Hand]

I ain't read allla the links.....

But lead poisoning wa a very real thing...... and kinda fasinating when you wonder about it.....

So all jokes asside....... can we discuss it....

<now I gotta go back and read all of the post about it....... sorry>

[Salty]

For my humble part there were still leads used in ceramic glazes of the time, will post documatnation att a bit later time

[Abrams]

If I recall correctly, lead poisoning was an all-too-common thing...I recall hearing about how there were remnants of lead in drinking glasses and other household items!