I agree with Claudia's comments. And frankly, wouldn't use any cookware that isn't absolutely modern. We all thought aluminum and teflon were safe, and now we're hearning about their dangers.
Brass is usually an alloy of copper and zinc, so I don't think it would harm you. But since it's old, the composition may be different...and may contain lead? Anyway, if they are valuable or of sentimental value, I wouldn't use them for cooking because they might get dinged and scratched.
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