Re: inorganic vs organic arsenic

**"* <b*@prodigy.net>**

People used to really get into trouble with the old type of landscape
timbers. About a dozen years ago, when arsenic-treated wood was still
available, John, one of my son's college friends, built himself a bunk bed
sytem in his freshman dorm room. It made the room seem larger and was
greatly admired. However, as you may have guessed, John became weaker and
sicker with a malady that defied diagnosis, at least as far as the school
health department was concerned. Finally John's mother found out how sick he
was and removed him from school. He began to improve, and she sent him back
but he declined again. Then she (a pediatrician herself, conveniently
enough) tracked down the cause -- the sturdy timbers he had bought.for the
bunk structure had been treated with arsenic. Outdoors they might never have
bothered anyone noticeably, but indoors in a small room the fumes were
devastating.

With best wishes,
Betty

Betty Mackey, Publisher
B. B. Mackey Books
P. O. Box 475
Wayne, PA 19087
bbmackey@prodigy.net
www.mackeybooks.com

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