Lead White (English)
Blanc de plomb (French)
Bianco di piombo (Italian)
Bleiweiss (german)

Lead white was originally made by filling lead jars and pots with vinegar (which is an acid) and burying the pots in manure piles, an ancient source of generating heat.

Lead white was used as an abortifacient and skin whitener by 18th century prostitutes. A drawing of Mercury by Louis Cheron (c. 1680) suffers from darkening of the lead white gouache.

Lead white was popularly used during the 20th century in house paints. Its widespread use gave cause to many incidents of “Plumbism”. Plumbism is the name for describing the effect of a gradual accumulation of lead in the body tissue.

Lead poisoning survivors suffer from mental retardation. Lead has a metallic taste. A black line (“lead line”) appearing at the base of the gums is an indication of lead poisoning.

Researchers found a new source of lead poisoning in eagles in Hokkaido, Japan, when lead bullet fragments in the remains of deer are consumed by scavenging eagles.

– 3/22/2004