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What
the name means:
The origin or the name arsenic is probably
from the Greek word arsenikos,
meaning strong, brave or male. This is
because, since prehistoric times around
2000BC, arsenic compounds had been added to
metals, such as copper, to make the metal
stronger. Another interpretation is that
the origin is from the Greek word
arsenikon, meaning coloured yellow. One
of the three types of arsenic usually found
in tin, silver and gold mines is yellow.
Who
identified
arsenic? Arsenic
compounds, the sulphides and the oxide,
come in yellow, red and white forms and
have been used since prehistoric times. The
Greek philosopher, Aristotle, made
reference to arsenic compounds in his
writings. The metal was probably first
isolated from yellow arsenic by an
alchemist called Albertus Magnus around
1250. He claimed to have produced a metal
after heating yellow arsenic with soap. In
1649 a chemist called Johann Schröder
extracted the metal by heating white
arsenic with carbon. It was not until
Antoine Lavoisier published his
Elementary Treatise of Chemistry in
1789 that arsenic was recognised as an
element.
About
arsenic: Although
arsenic is well known as a poison, since
the 18th century it was a
medicine, in small doses, to treat certain
bacterial diseases. It was in use until the
discovery and development of antibiotics.
The human body contains trace amounts of
arsenic and certain foods, notably prawns,
contain more concentrated amounts. Arsenic
compounds are found associated with tin,
silver and gold deposits. To stop them
becoming ill from the ingestion of arsenic
compounds, Cornish miners developed a safe
way to eat their lunch underground. The
Cornish pasty had a pastry rim that a miner
would hold while he ate the main part of
the pasty. The pastry rim or crust was then
thrown away so that the miner would not
transfer any arsenic on his hands to the
food he was eating. |
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