There is story, possibly apocryphal, that the first person to isolate fluorine gas died in the attempt.
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In an introductory course on stained glass.. “some watercolour painters like to lick their brushes to get a good point. When you are painting toxic heavy metals on to glass, do not do this.”
some time later...
“hmmm.. looks like the particular kind of glass you have chosen for this project doesn’t take silver nitrate very well. Let’s try antimony instead....”
The danger of attempting to isolate fluorine gas is not apocryphal. From Wikipedia:
Progress in isolating the element was slowed by the exceptional dangers of generating fluorine: several 19th century experimenters, the “fluorine martyrs”, were killed or blinded. Humphry Davy, as well as the notable French chemists Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard, experienced severe pains from inhaling hydrogen fluoride gas; Davy’s eyes were damaged. Irish chemists Thomas and George Knoxdeveloped fluorite apparatus for working with hydrogen fluoride, but nonetheless were severely poisoned. Thomas nearly died and George was disabled for three years. French chemist Henri Moissan was poisoned several times, which shortened his life. Belgian chemist Paulin Louyet and French chemist Jérôme Nicklès tried to follow the Knox work, but they died from HF poisoning even though they were aware of the dangers.
There is story, possibly apocryphal, that the first person to isolate fluorine gas died in the attempt.
=====
In an introductory course on stained glass.. “some watercolour painters like to lick their brushes to get a good point. When you are painting toxic heavy metals on to glass, do not do this.”
some time later...
“hmmm.. looks like the particular kind of glass you have chosen for this project doesn’t take silver nitrate very well. Let’s try antimony instead....”
The danger of attempting to isolate fluorine gas is not apocryphal. From Wikipedia:
Progress in isolating the element was slowed by the exceptional dangers of generating fluorine: several 19th century experimenters, the “fluorine martyrs”, were killed or blinded.
Humphry Davy, as well as the notable French chemistsJoseph Louis Gay-LussacandLouis Jacques Thénard, experienced severe pains from inhaling hydrogen fluoride gas; Davy’s eyes were damaged. Irish chemistsThomas and George Knoxdeveloped fluorite apparatus for working with hydrogen fluoride, but nonetheless were severely poisoned. Thomas nearly died and George was disabled for three years. French chemistHenri Moissanwas poisoned several times, which shortened his life. Belgian chemistPaulin Louyetand French chemistJérôme Nicklèstried to follow the Knox work, but they died from HF poisoning even though they were aware of the dangers.