Something I stumbled across whilst browsing the internet.


...interesting...

Yes, this is true. The felt used in hat making was "treated" with mercury vapor. Some sources say that modern-day felt still contains mercury. I don't know if it's true or not.

While we're on the subject of mercury (I didn't know which thread, specifically, to post my thoughts on, and this one seemed as good as any other, so here goes...)

Maybe I'm mistaken in my assumptions listed below. Maybe life has always been this way. We're imperfect organisms, most of us with less-than-perfect genes. But...

It seems to me that many people from recent generations, specifically (that being anyone from the ages of .. oh .. 20-40), suffer from a host of various illnesses: psoriasis, fibromyalgia, paranoia, chronic fatigue syndrome, CANCER, etc. No, certainly not everyone is sick these days, for I could name a countless number of healthy people I know from my age bracket. But...

I don't know. It sure seems to me that there is a trend of symptoms suffered by today's younger generation. I look at my mother and father-in law, a vibrant pair. In their 50's, they stay up later than me, indulge in all sorts of toxins (cigarettes, strong Turkish coffee which they drink until all hours of the night and still manage to sleep, eat healthy -- but fattening -- foods, and on and on). Maybe I'm just reading into a few examples only, but it sure seems to me that more and more younger people are suffering all sorts of strange ailments. My in-laws came from a different time period, where one cleaned their house using homemade brandy (alcohol) instead of some chemical-laden mass-marketed product like Wyndex. Their bodies were weaned in a more natural state, whereas mine was nourished in a not-so-nourishing environment. Most of the chemical products on the market today using propyline glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, flouride, etc, have not been in existance for long periods of time -- certainly not long enough for mankind to know what affects these products have longterm on the body.

And you know what? I realise that death, disease, and dying is a part of life. And that sometimes people become diseased for no other reason than bad genes. No one and nothing is at fault, that's just life. But .. is it just me or .. is there a questionable amount of ill people out there in the world today?

Am I just being a baby? Why don't I have the energy level of people from the generation before me? Have we all convinced ourselves of these ailments or is something causing it? Something which didn't exist some 20-40 years ago. I really wonder how much mercury plays a role in the way many people feel today. But I don't really know. I don't have any answers, just pure conjecture. Maybe the earth can only handle so many humans living on it and, as a result, overpopulation is taking its toll on us. Maybe things have always been this way. I don't know.

If I were so inclined to do the research, I'd write a book titled The Diseased Generation. First, I need to know if my suspicions are true, or if I'm just being more aware of those who feel sick lately. Again, maybe it's always been like this. Sure, 200 years ago people died of pneumonia, but were conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and amalgam illness prevalent (or indeed existant) in previous generations?

Anyway, just another blathering thought from me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ...if any of that makes any sense.

I think you raise good points. I think there are lots of good things to have come from modern technology etc, I think the downside is that the way people live to day isn't very healthy.

Some things that concern me that I think is damaging health of our and younger generation (not in particular order) and just my opinion:

- mercury fillings
- smoking, both themselves and/or their parents
- excessive alcohol consumption
- cosmetics inc antiperspirants
- food additives, caffeine, aspartame etc
- fast food instead of fresh food
- car fumes
- hormonal birth control, both in young women and mothers of this generation who were amongst the first to use it.
- overuse of computers
- lack of exercise
- too much tv, not enough family and social interaction, which hampers mental development
- slip in social/religious standards, resulting in teenagers being sexually active from a young age, exposing them to risks of diseases.

I have to admit, I'm guilty of some of the above myself, but those are some of the things I think are damaging peoples health. I might be wrong, and not all these things do damage.

I believe the following are the primary culprits (over 50%) of the rise in disease?especially neurological?in the past 30 years (Demi has a more complete list):

- Lead in paint
- Mercury in amalgam fillings, vaccines, fungicides and paint
- Fluoride (hydrofluorosilicic acid) in water
- Arsenic in treated lumber
- Pesticides
- Preservatives
- Demineralized foods (via processing and pesticides)

Six are toxicity, one is malnutrition. It's all man-made (big surprise there).

Unfortunately, the other side of the argument will tell us that a hundred years ago people didn't live as long as we do today, they died from diseases which no longer exist in this day and age, and in even earlier centuries there was plague. There always has been and always will be sick people.

My question is .. if we're so technically advanced, why so many? (So many sick people, that is.)

The trouble I think with your lists, Russ and Demi, is that no two people are alike. There are some men out there who smoke a pack (or more) a day of cigarettes beginning from the age 15-20 and yet they live to be a remarkable 80+ years old! Now I'm certainly not advocating the use of tobacco, or trying to insinuate that smoking is good for you. But toxins exist in the natural world, with or without all of these man made products. The eruptions of a volcano, for example, can cause cancer a lot faster than cigarettes! And yet, some of us have a higher tolerance for said toxins. Someone could go and have the same hazardous dental procedure that Nina went through (whereby the dentist merely drilled it out, thus exposing her to mercury vapors), and they might be completely fine and never, for the rest of their life, show any signs of affect. I sure wish I had an immune system like that.

I don't know if substances like caffeine are really that bad for "us" -- because who is us? For some people, honestly, caffeine (in moderation) may have positive affects. Or that milk is supposedly not as good as we've been told to believe all these years. Wheat. White bread. I'm a pretty slim guy and when I cut down on these I start to look malnourished real fast. So how can I be healthier by omitting these foods which "new studies" are suddenly claiming are bad for us? (Again, there's that "us".)

I supose I'm repeating myself here, but we're not perfect beings, we're organisms suceptible to injury and illness (irregardless of what toxins exist naturally or are man made). So, for me, it's very difficult to take a side in the argument. Are we less healthy than we were generations ago? Maybe we're not any more or less healthy, we're just suffering a different host of symptoms based on today's environment (was it any better in the past, honestly?). But if I had to take a vote, I'd side with the rest of you. Something's happening in today's generation(s) that seems to be causing unnecessary illnesses. I just don't know if it's so black and white for anyone to say "it's this" or "it's that". There are too many factors, for me, to pinpoint what exactly is happening these days. Take flouride, for example. It's poisonous. Sure, fine. I can agree with that sentiment based on what I've read. And yet .. again .. there are people out there who can tolerate these toxins and live to a ripe old age, ever vibrant and ever healthy. I think there may be factors that neither the conservatives nor the homepaths have yet to consider (or maybe I simply haven't read up enough on the subject.)

Anyway, interesting topic.

You are right, it's a complicated matter, lots of variables.

I try to avoid things that I believe might damage my health, but I don't always manage it, lol. I'm trying to buy mostly organic food, but the truth is I'm a lazy cook, so at least a couple of times a week I go back to pizza, pre-cooked meals etc. I also can't resist coke or coffee, spend too much time on the computer, and live in a city so there's lots of car fumes.