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Although elements such as Gold, Silver, Tin, Copper and Lead had been known since antiquity, the first scientific discovery of an element occurred in 1649 when Hennig Brand discovered phosphorous. The ‘periodic table of elements’ was published by Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev in 1869.
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Metallurgy developed first in Anatolia (now Turkey) possibly as early as 3500 BC where there are rich deposits of both Copper and Tin in the highlands. In Britain, the Bronze Age is considered to have started around 2100 BC and more than likely as a result of immigration bringing in new cultures and ideas.
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To trace the history of copper compounds it would be necessary to go back much further than the fourth millennium BC. Records found in the tombs of the early Egyptians suggest that, at least, this ancient civilisation employed copper sulphate as a mordant in their dyeing process. 5,000 years later this process is still used.
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We all know that Arsenic is a poison. In high doses it kills by allosteric inhibition of metabolic enzymes leading to death from multi-system organ failure. Chronic (long term) poisoning can cause cancer. However, it is also used to treat some cancers in the form of Arsenic Trioxide. Needless to say - THERE ARE SIDE EFFECTS!
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