Slaver's Blue

'Slaver's blue' is a slang term for the aftermath of long-term dosing with potassium ferric hexacyanoferrate (PFH) used to treat occupational thallium poisoning. While it is possible for individuals outside of the Eiquereus Craglands to manifest the symptoms of slaver's blue, the exploitative and dangerous working conditions inherent to mining operations in that locale have created a notable cluster slaver's blue incidents there.

Symptoms

Slaver's blue causes different symptoms in different population groups. Along with the normal side-effects of PFH dosing (including constipation, dark stools, and low serum potassium levels), victims of slaver's blue often have blue-stained sweat and may even exhibit bluing in other bodily fluids; in addition to it's medicinal properties, PFH is a potent dye used in artistic and industrial applications (i.e. blueprinting). More noticeably, the Caudal lichen symbiotes within Verdial sufferers will gradually take on a bluish hue, a permanent result of the lichen's greater ability to absorb the medication.

A Man Suffering from Slaver's Blue by Artbreeder

Treatment

Treatment for slaver's blue involves removing the victim from the schedule of treatment with PFH - which, in the case of the 'Blue Eiquerians,' necessitated their removal from their condition of servitude as well.

Prognosis

While Humans and Rostrans will eventually recover from the effects of slaver's blue, Ovinex take longer to recover due to PFH being excreted into their lanolin, staining their next several coats of wool blue. For Verdials symbiote discoloration is often long-lasting or permanent, though the degree of discoloration does fade over time as relative concentrations of PFH decrease with growth.

History

The term came to public prominence after a military expedition from the Commonwealth of C liberated workers showing symptoms from an illegal mining operation in the Craglands. The rescued miners had been kept in slave-like conditions and had been put on a long-term schedule of PFH dosing to allow them to work longer without succumbing to thallium poisoning. This risk of poisoning both arose from the mineral dust they were exposed to during mining operations and because the on-site refinery used copious amounts of a solution of thallium malonate and thallium formate to separate minerals by density.
As a result of prophylactic dosing, the miners all showed the classic signs of slaver's blue. Further investigation that the mine owners would use the coloration to distinguish their slaves from their staff and, conversely, would threaten to withdraw the prophylaxis if a miner failed to maintain output - an action which, the miners were told, would be a painful death sentence. The story of the 'Blue Eiquerians' was so sensational to media throughout The Human Arc that the label stuck.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Engineered

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Extremely Rare

Affected Species

• Rostran
• Ovinex
• Human
• Verdial