Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Arsenic And Old Pelts: An Update On Deadly Pesticides In Museum Collections, Alice B. Kehoe, Marshall Joseph Becker

Anthropology & Sociology Faculty Publications

The use of toxic chemicals within museums is an issue only recently addressed by anthropologists and scholars in related fields. A case of arsenic poisoning in an anthropologist during the 1960s is reviewed for what it may tell us about a mysterious ailment that afflicted Clark Wissler 50 years earlier. While no conclusive diagnosis can be made, Wissler’s case reminds us that we have come a long way in protecting against one of the lesser known dangers confronting anthropologists. All museums use pesticides and preservatives of some form, though the health impact of these agents is not always known. This …