Thomas Alva Edison

"He led no armies into battle, he conquered no countries, and enslaved no peoples...Nonetheless, he exerted a degree of power the magnitude of which no warrior ever dreamed." A quote from the Edison.com website.

Edison was a prolific inventor and businessman. His inventions included the phonograph, motion picture camera, the light bulb and perhaps the invention that did more to shape modern society than even the light bulb was electric power generation and distribution.

We know from history that on Monday, September 4, 1882 at 3 pm on Pearl Street in Manhattan, NY. That Edison's first power generation network was engaged. This and subsequent improvements were a breakthrough development in what was to become the industrialized world.

But there was another unintended consequence of this breakthrough that was to affect the health of the American family for generations to come.