Source by "Popular Mechanics"
BREAKING A MIRROR
The first mirror-makers were the ancient Romans, who believed that glass
reflected a person’s soul. They also believed that life renewed
itself every seven years, so breaking a mirror—and, thus, your
soul—meant seven long years of misery. But a more likely culprit
for any ill health following a shattering is mercury, which was used
in mirrors until the 1800s. “Mercury is a neurotoxin—it
affects the nervous system,” Bogo says. “Mercury poisoning
can lead to madness; that’s the big one. It can also damage the
nerves and the kidneys, cause gingivitis and affect the development
of infants and children.” Thankfully, the element is no longer
used to make mirrors, rendering this myth moot.
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