We’ve heard of banned books, but have you ever heard of toxic books? In the 19th century, a popular bright green pigment used for book covers and wallpaper was made with arsenic. These books are still out there, sitting quietly in university collections, but they are too toxic to handle without special care.
#1: Shadows from the Walls of Death (National Library of Medicine)
In 1874, Dr. Robert C. Kedzie created this poisonous book to prove a point about the dangers of arsenic in everyday wallpaper. He compiled 100 copies and sent them to public libraries across Michigan to function as a warning. The book contained actual samples of the toxic paper. His plan worked a little too well, and terrified librarians destroyed most of the copies. Today, only a handful survive. The National Library of Medicine has one, and to digitize its pages, staff had to wear full hazmat suits.
