ABSTRACT
Asbestos was known to the Romans who mined the long silky asbestos or Amianthus in the Italian Alps: it was then thought to be of vegetable origin and was woven into cremation cloths. In 1760 a factory for the manufacture of asbestos goods was set up in Russia but owing to the small demand for the asbestos products it did not have a long life. About 100 years elapsed before the asbestos deposits of Canada were worked on an economical scale and since then the industry has increased to become one of great importance.
