Historical use of Asbestos
Posted on: October 4, 2023Asbestos is not an invention of modern science. Asbestos is a mineral that is as soft and flexible as cotton or flax, yet it is fireproof.
The Ancient Greeks named the mineral asbestos, meaning inextinguishable. The harmful biological effects were also observed by the Greeks. The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder both mentioned a sickness of the lungs in the slaves that wove asbestos into cloth. Although they noticed this sickness in those who worked with asbestos, they were in such awe of asbestos’s magical properties that they ignored this.
Asbestos was used for the wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, as the funeral dress for the cremation of kings, and as napkins. Supposedly the Romans would clean asbestos napkins by throwing them into a fire. They were particularly impressed that the asbestos cloth would come out of the fire whiter than when it went in; hence, their name for asbestos, amiantus, meaning unpolluted.
Asbestos use declined in the Middle Ages, but it was rumored that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Marco Polo was shown items made from asbestos cloth on his travels.
Asbestos use did not re-emerge until the 1700’s, but it did not become popular until the late 1800’s and during the Industrial Revolution. Asbestos then began to be used as insulation for boilers, steam pipes, turbines, ovens, kilns, and other high-temperature equipment. Apparently, the ancient observations of the health risks of asbestos were forgotten.
Have you been exposed to Asbestos? Do you want to find out more information about Asbestos and its relation to Mesothelioma? Do you want to know more about your treatment options or your financial/legal avenues of compensation? Use the form below to contact us. A qualified Mesothelioma Attorney is waiting to receive your email.