The Connection between Asbestos and Mesothelioma Has Roots in Roman History

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September 4, 2007

Examining the history of asbestos exposure, we find this natural occurring mineral was revered for its fire-retardant properties and lead to early death for those involved in the mining and procurement process as far back as the first century.

The Roman Empire often utilized asbestos for everyday use items, like table cloths and linens for cleaning. Once the items were soiled, the Romans simply pitched the cloth into the fire and watch as the dirt burned off. The cloths were then removed from the flames and reused. It was a parlor trick that many of the Roman upper crust used to impress their opulence upon house guests. All the while, Roman slaves were working in asbestos mines and beginning to show signs of a mysterious illness. Many slaves were coughing up blood and growing wearier as the days progressed. Majorities died and were simply replaced with new workers. The cycle of mesothelioma death and its roots began to take shape.

Jumping ahead several centuries, the same level of everyday use began to spring up in mid-50s America. The wonders of asbestos became apparent, and house walls were stuffed full of the fibrous substance. Schools were installed with the material with the hopes that fire would be unable to claim our youth. The shipbuilding industry caught on and decided to fireproof boats and other watercraft. And, like the slaves of the Roman Empire, those who mined the present day asbestos boom started to fall ill as the tiny fibers locked themselves deep in the lining of lungs and took seed to form the modern day mesothelioma epidemic.

By the mid-1960s, the medical community made the connection the Roman Empire failed to make so many hundreds of years ago: no mistake can be made — asbestos and mesothelioma run hand in hand.

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