[Dixielandjazz] Brass poisoning? Or metal allergy?

[Nancy Giffin]

Hi all,

I was dismayed this week to hear from one of my favorite trombone players
that he has been told by a doctor he is suffering from "brass poisoning." If
it's poisoning, then the liver is getting a workout, but I wonder if it
might be an allergy to the metals rather than "poisoning," per se.  The
irritation is only affecting where he makes contact with the mouthpiece,
plus he gets a really bad taste in his mouth; these symptoms can last for
months. He's played all his life and is now in his late 50s, so I'm curious
if one can develop an allergy to brass over time. (He also just shaved his
moustache, but claims the problem appeared before then.)

I've done a bit of research and found that this does indeed happen to horn
players when they play with raw brass or when their mouthpiece loses its
gold-plating.  Some say to use a plastic mouthpiece or coat the brass with
nail polish, or simply get it gold-plated...

What say ye, brass players?  And is there anything to remedy this?

?????