Float
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals with long, thin fibers. It was once used widely as insulation. It also occurs in the environment. Asbestos fibers are so small you can't see them. If you disturb asbestos, the fibers can float in the air. This makes them easy to inhale, and some may become lodged in the lungs.
If you breathe in high levels of asbestos over a long period of time, the fibers can build up in the lungs. This causes scarring and inflammation, and can affect breathing. Eventually it can lead to diseases such as:
- Asbestosis, or scarring of the lungs that makes it hard to breathe
- Mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen
- Lung cancer
Lung diseases associated with asbestos usually develop over many years. People who become ill from asbestos are usually exposed on the job over long periods of time. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Felter's Materia Medica on Float
The bark of the root of Chionanthus virginicus, Linné. (Nat. Ord. Oleaceae.) United States from Pennsylvania southward. Dose, 5 to 30... / ...n on light pressure and deep-seated tenderness on strong pressure, the feces are light in color and float upon water, the urine scanty and orange-tinted, there are occasional hectic flushes, and somet... / ...never reach the true diabetic state. There is good reason to believe that the prolonged use of chionanthus will be of much benefit in such cases.1
I. Cinnamomum Saigonicum. Dried bark of an undetermined species of Cinnamomum. Chiefly from China. II. Cinnamomum Zeylanicum. Dried bark of... / ...the mouth is irritated or ulcerated. When too much has been added the oil of cinnamon separates and floats upon the surface, and if thus given it is decidedly irritant. If the medicine to which it has...1
The dried bark of the stems and roots of Punica Granatum, Linné (Nat. Ord. Punicaceae). India, southwestern Asia, and the Mediterranean... / ...e administer a copious enema, and remove the worm in a vessel filled with warm water so that it may float freely and not be broken. If nausea and vomiting occur upon first giving the decoction, lemon ... / ...Epsom salt, fluidextract of jalap, or castor oil may be used as the cathartic. If the tannate is employed it may be administered in capsule.1
The spores of Lycopodium clavatum, Linné (Nat. Ord. Lycopodiaceae) or Club Moss, a creeping perennial found in most parts of the earth; gathered... / ...land. Description.An odorless and tasteless, very mobile, light-yellow powder, impervious to but floating on cold water, sinking when boiled with water, and burning with a sudden flash when in cont... / ...are voided. The small dose, from the fraction of a drop to five drops of the specific medicine, is the most advantageous form of administration.1
The dried rhizome and roots of Podophyllum peltatum, Linné (Nat. Ord. Berberidaceae). Rich woods and thickets of North America. Dose, 5 to 30... / ...ll open pulse; pain deep in ischiatic notches; and as an ideal cholagogue; clay-colored stools, floating upon water; stools, hard, dry, and accompanied by distended abdomen and colicky pain. It is...1