As previously noted, Benjamin Franklin’s glass armonica produced ethereal sounds by rotating glass bowls. However, a fascinating piece of its history is the 'lead poisoning' myth. In the 18th century, glass often had a high lead content. Rumors spread that players were falling ill because the lead was being absorbed through their fingertips while touching the wet glass. Some even claimed the eerie vibrations could induce labor in pregnant women or drive listeners insane. Modern science has largely debunked this; lead cannot be absorbed through the skin in significant quantities just by touching glass. The 'illnesses' reported by players like Marianne Davies were more likely due to the general medical conditions of the time or perhaps the stress of performing on a fragile, temperamental instrument. Nevertheless, the fear was so great that the instrument was actually banned in some German towns for being a threat to public health.