What was arsenic used for?
Use of the agents. Arsenic and arsenic compounds have been produced and used commercially for centuries. Current and historical uses of arsenic include pharmaceuticals, wood preservatives, agricultural chemicals, and applications in the mining, metallurgical, glass-making, and semiconductor industries.
When was arsenic first used as a poison?
It became common in the 18th century to use arsenic as rat poison, and the public at large became aware of the stuff. It was widely available and very inexpensive. And it was the ideal poison because it was colorless and tasteless.
Did doctors prescribe arsenic?
There was even arsenic in medicine (often deliberately prescribed by doctors). Arsenical compounds had been used since ancient times in pigments and medicines. Such compounds are common in mineral ores and in coal, both building blocks of the Industrial Revolution.
How is arsenic a medicine?
Arsenic is also contained in traditional Chinese medicine formulas and used for psoriasis; syphilis; asthma; joint pain (rheumatism); hemorrhoids; cough; itchiness; cancer; to reduce swelling (as an anti-inflammatory agent); and as a general tonic and pain-killer.
Does arsenic have any health benefits?
During their time, Hippocrates used the arsenic sulfides realgar and orpiment to treat ulcers, and Dioscorides used orpiment as a depilatory. Since then, arsenic and its derivatives have been found to be useful in treating diseases such as cancer and syphilis.
What products use arsenic?
Presently, arsenic is widely used in the electronics industry in the form of gallium arsenide and arsine gas as components in semiconductor devices. Production of wood preservatives, primarily copper chromated arsenate (CCA), accounted for more than 90% of domestic consumption of arsenic trioxide in 2003.
How do you tell if you have been poisoned by arsenic?
Symptoms of arsenic poisoning may include:
- red or swollen skin.
- skin changes, such as new warts or lesions.
- abdominal pain.
- nausea and vomiting.
- diarrhea.
- abnormal heart rhythm.
- muscle cramps.
- tingling of fingers and toes.
What was the first use of arsenic?
Arsenic compounds began to be used in agriculture as ingredients in insecticides, rat poisons, herbicides and wood preservatives, as well as pigments in paints, wallpaper and ceramics.
What are the side effects of arsenic?
Symptoms of arsenic poisoning
- red or swollen skin.
- skin changes, such as new warts or lesions.
- abdominal pain.
- nausea and vomiting.
- diarrhea.
- abnormal heart rhythm.
- muscle cramps.
- tingling of fingers and toes.
How does arsenic interfere with the body?
Soluble inorganic arsenic can have immediate toxic effects. Ingestion of large amounts can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as severe vomiting, disturbances of the blood and circulation, damage to the nervous system, and eventually death.
Does arsenic stay in your body?
Both inorganic and organic forms leave your body in your urine. Most of the inorganic arsenic will be gone within several days, although some will remain in your body for several months or even longer. If you are exposed to organic arsenic, most of it will leave your body within several days.
What food has the most arsenic?
The highest levels of arsenic (in all forms) in foods can be found in seafood, rice, rice cereal (and other rice products), mushrooms, and poultry, although many other foods, including some fruit juices, can also contain arsenic.