[Pollinator] Fwd: preventing insect attack in 19th century

[Peter Bernhardt]

Dear Karen:

Thank you for that interesting blast from the past.  I am sending it on to
botanists who often handle some really old herbarium sheets.  Wash your
hands!  You realize , of course, that mercury poisoning in millinery is
probably the origin of the phrase "Mad as a Hatter."  It comes from the
even older treatment of beaver skins (destined to become hats) with
mercury.  I understand that the molecules were small enough to pass through
the filter of the epidermis and the poisoning later manifested itself as
crazed behavior in hatters.  I wonder if early entomologists used some sort
of mercury compound on pinned collections so I will send this on to
entomological colleagues dealing with 19th century specimens?

Peter
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Karen Wilson <Karen.Wilson at rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au>
Date: Sun, Dec 6, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Subject: preventing insect attack in 19th century
To: "PlantDiversitySection at environment.nsw.gov.au" <
PlantDiversitySection at environment.nsw.gov.au>, "
Collections at environment.nsw.gov.au" <Collections at environment.nsw.gov.au>,
Bob Makinson <Bob.Makinson at rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au>, "
HonoraryAssociates at environment.nsw.gov.au" <
HonoraryAssociates at environment.nsw.gov.au>


This letter printed in the Annals of Botany vol 2 (1806) indicates why
anyone handling old specimens should be careful to wash their hands
afterwards:

There is more detail on the following page (but nothing about possible
danger to humans!). Email me if you’d like to read that, too.

Karen


*Karen L. Wilson AM*
Senior Research Scientist
National Herbarium of New South Wales

Adjunct Associate Professor, University of New England, Armidale, NSW
Secretary, General Committee, International Code of Nomenclature for Algae,
Fungi & Plants

Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands
*T* +61 (02) 9231 8137 | *E* *karen.wilson at rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au*
<karen.wilson at rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au>
Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney NSW 2000,
Australia







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