Note 16 — A VIEW OF THE LEAD-MINES OF MISSOURI.
Reading edition
On this passage, Mr. Silliman remarks, "that sulphur is not poisonous to men or animals.... The carbonate of barytes is eminently poisonous; but we have never heard that the sulphate is so. May not the licking around the furnaces expose the cattle to receive lead, in some of its forms, minutely divided? or, if it be not active in the metallic state, both the oxide and the carbonate, which must of course exist around the furnaces, would be highly active and poisonous. Is it not possible, also, that some of the natural waters of the country may, in consequence of saline or acid impregnations, dissolve some of the lead, and thus obtain saturnine qualities? We must allow, however, that we are not acquainted with the existence of any natural water thus impregnated."—Jour. Sci., Vol. III.