From what I've read, the most significant lead poisoning comes from ingesting lead or breathing in its fumes. And actually, according to Vitruvius, lead workers were known to be an unhealthy lot and he recommends water to be delivered through ceramic pipes since lead pipes are bad for water. Though it appears that his advice was rigorously followed.
But I don't think lead-blackened leather would be enough to harm someone significantly (unless they licked it a lot! yummy...), especially if it was only treated on the outside and was not in contact with the skin. And I've only found one, possibly two references, to this practice so far, and they have both been describing warriors from hundreds of years earlier, so it may have been a completely made-up poetic trope to indicate the "primitive" technology of the ancients.
BUT, the Romans did put a lot of lead-based compounds in their wine, food and medications, so it may be true that the whole ruling class was mad as hatters (and seriously infertile) due to lead exposure. Interesting.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2008-09-06 03:52 pm (UTC)But I don't think lead-blackened leather would be enough to harm someone significantly (unless they licked it a lot! yummy...), especially if it was only treated on the outside and was not in contact with the skin. And I've only found one, possibly two references, to this practice so far, and they have both been describing warriors from hundreds of years earlier, so it may have been a completely made-up poetic trope to indicate the "primitive" technology of the ancients.
BUT, the Romans did put a lot of lead-based compounds in their wine, food and medications, so it may be true that the whole ruling class was mad as hatters (and seriously infertile) due to lead exposure. Interesting.
Sorry, I'll stop rambling now! :)