THE SMELL OF PAINT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 65, 18 March 1908, Page 2

THE SMELL OF PAINT.

The smell of paint occasions distress to a good many people. Persons who are sensitive to the vapours or paint, or what is the same thing, to the turpentine and oils contained m the paints, are well advised to resign their home \intil the drying influence of the air has dissipated the volatile oils. Turpentine, even in the form of vapour diluted with air, undoubtedly affects the health of some persons, the disturbance manifesting itself in the shape of giddiness, headache, deficient appetite,, and anaemia. A typical case was recorded recently There were headache, vomiting, spelling of the tonsil, albuminuria, and a marked rise in the temperature apparently due to an exposure to the emanations of wet paint for nearly a fortnight. That such a case should now and then arise is not surprising when regard is paid to the toxic effects which turpentine vapour is capable of_ setting up. Turpentine, in short, is a poison, and cats and rabbits are so susceptible to its action that if kept exposed to its vapour for some minutes they exhibit marked toxic symptoms ending f n <leath if they are not removed from the sphere of action of the vapour. Personal idiosyncrasy, however, is clearly an important factor, for many persons and probably the majority do not seem to be affected by turpentine vapour to any serious degree. A very sensible precaution during the painting season for those to take who are compelled to endure the nuisance is to leave bowls of writer in the freshly painted rooms. Some, at any rate, of the paint emanations are thus absorbed, as will be seeii from the oily film on the surface of the water so exposed. Nothing could 700 worse for xhf> system than some of those violent cathartics or purgatives that somjq neople take to move their hjwMa. They frequently cause ccnstipafcVmj sometimes inflammation. Chamberlain's Tablets bring on a natural &e- ---| turn, mildly and gently, which *urps i t]i? rPal trouble without dangerous after effects. For sale by j. Benrung, Blenheim,, atid W. Syms, Pictop. ./ «