Indian Illnesses Due To Mercury Poisoning At The Colonial Spanish Mining Community At Huancavelica, Peru In The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries

Authors

James D. Harrop, Brigham Young University
Dr. Kendall Brown, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Indian illnesses, mercury poisoning, colonial Spanish mining community, Peru

College

Humanities

Department

History

Abstract

The Spanish mining operations in the Americas during Colonial times were operated by the only supply of manpower available to the Spanish; the indigenous peoples. Huancavelica was a mercury mine essential to the continued production of the silver mines. Mercury was necessary to extract silver from ore and was rarely found in such high deposits as at Huancavelica.

Recommended Citation

Harrop, James D. and Brown, Dr. Kendall (2014) "Indian Illnesses Due To Mercury Poisoning At The Colonial Spanish Mining Community At Huancavelica, Peru In The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014: Iss. 1, Article 222.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/222