Medicine: Lip Poison

Confiscated by Manhattan agents of the Food and Drug Administration this week was a load of 30,000 aluminum-cased lipsticks, sent to the U. S. by the swank Parisian parfumerie, Guerlain, Inc. They charged: for coloring, the lipsticks contained cadmium and selenium, poisonous chemicals banned in U. S. cosmetics.

Cadmium, an element of the zinc family, destroys red blood corpuscles when introduced into the bloodstream (as it might be if rubbed on lips or licked). Selenium, a dark red powder belonging to the sulfur family and found in German, Japanese, Mexican and other soils, is chiefly used for photoelectric cells and ruby-glass danger...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!