Census Occupations - Painter
Below are some resources I recommend if any of your ancestors in your family tree were painters.
A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z
Description: Someone who produces works of art such as paintings or sculptures, or a common painter of buildings and houses. As the latter, they would have had several health problems associated with the paint they used. Lead colic was among the worst. At the time paint contained high levels of lead. Although it was initially thought that breathing in the vapours caused a lot of these problems, it was soon found that it was the continued physical exposure that did the most damage. Painters were not considered the cleanest of men and often left their hands unwashed, leaving them covered in paint whilst eating and using the toilets. Common problems were lead, mercury, arsenic and verdigris poisoning, nausea from fume inhalation and accidents such as burns and scalds. Lead poisoning caused dry belly-ache and weakening of the wrists. Dry belly-ache (or painter's colic) comes from the inhalation of fumes and the handling of paint, in particular white lead. Symptoms included pains in the bottom of the stomach, belching, nausea, thirst, a short pulse, and constipation. It was treatable but if left could cause severe abdominal pain until the bowel expands to a point where death is certain. Weakness of the wrists was caused more often by the handling of the paint itself and often followed dry belly-ache. Arsenic poisoning caused a pricking burning feeling in the stomach, accompanied by thirst and vomiting. Verdigris poisoning caused nausea and corrosion of the stomach. See also Artist.
Websites:
Reading materials:
The Book of English Trades, and Library of Useful Arts
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