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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: and in some parts actually fell to the ground by its own weight;
while the backs of the books upon the top shelves were perished,
and crumbled away when touched, being reduced to the consistency
of Scotch snuff. This was, of course, due to the sulphur in
the gas fumes, which attack russia quickest, while calf and morocco
suffer not quite so much. I remember having a book some years
ago from the top shelf in the library of the London Institution,
where gas is used, and the whole of the back fell off in my hands,
although the volume in other respects seemed quite uninjured.
Thousands more were in a similar plight.
As the paper of the volumes is uninjured, it might be objected that,
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