Document 0JqE031MO2ppLN1jp78X2GxQR

FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1951 Apr DOC TALC006 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Abstract from the Bulletin of Hygiene - Talcosis Pulmonum 402 BULLETIN OF HYGIENE April 1951 Vol 26 as were the rest of the pulmonary tissues No tubercle bacilli could be found anywhere but through- C " out the lungs there were curious bodies which are so distinctive of asbestos particles lying in living tissues These bodies were seen in fibrous zones in the alveoli and even included within giant phago- cytes This man aged 49 had been totally incapacitated with pronounced dyspnoea on exertion and cardiac failure Particles of asbestos were found in out of 12 samples of sputum and curious " bodies in 3 samples such findings however were not associated with ray shadows indicative of pulmonary fibrosis The evidence is against much danger arising from the manufacture of cement E L. Collis HANSE nx, A FROST J pulmonum Ugeskr fo V. 112 No 49 1691 7 English summary & GEORG J Talcosis Laeger 1950 Dec 7 2 skiagrams 26 refs; In 1940 the Danish public health authorities investigated the possibility of tale poisoning in two of them ten rubber lactories and in one who had been employed in it from workers 15 to 30 years were examined with special reference to deposits in the lungs All the skiagrams were normal and there were no complaints of symptoms In 1949 one of these factories was agam studied with refer- ence to talc poisoning and five workers longest time of employment from 19 to were examined A worker who had been with the 29 years employed for 29 years showed diffuse radiographic changes in the lungs The present publication gives a detailed account of five cases in which there were radiographic pulmonary changes after prolonged exposure to tale dust during the manufacture of rubber inner tubes Three of these workers had shown no radiographie evidence of fibrosis after respectively 6 15 and 15 years of exposure to the dust But after a further period of 10 years there were marked radiographic changes None of the five workers presented any symptoms of tale poisoning but three of them showed showed a slight reduction of pulmonary function The authors recommend measures for the reduction of talc dust in the industries concerned and they suggest that when such pulmonary changes as they found are demonstrable it is advisable to move the worker to a less dusty employment Claude Lillingston DF COMMENEJS JS & BESSON J La pneumokomose ^ poussi^res de c^'r^'ales Pneumoconiosis due to the Dusts of Cereals Arch Malad Pro- fessionnelles Paris 1950 v 11 No 5 459 70 figs 15 refs The claim is advanced that dust from such cereals as barley wheat and oats can cause pneumocomosis and published work is quoted in support Experiments are described in which guineapigs were exposed to cereal dust for } to 1 hour for 3 or 4 sessions per week during 100 to 245 days The dust contained sharp fragments of vegetable hairs and such were found in the lungs of the animals The lungs showed changes which are divided into three stages passing from bronchiolitis with abrasion or perhaps destruction of the epithelium of the bronchi the bronchioles containing polynuclear cells and dust particles to a stage in which the bronchioles become either obliterated or emphysematous with thickened and sclerotic walls These changes cause ray shadows passing from reticulation to nodulation They have been ascribed to trauma from the sharp dust or to histamines in the dust or to bacteria introduced with the dust and gaining access through the traumatic action of the dust or to moulds belonging to these vegetable dusts Dusts from different cereals difler in toxicity Search however for either bacteria or moulds has failed to detect the noxious agent and the authors are compelled to blame the dust as such No evidence of sus transhiped ceptibility to tuberculosis was found The dust generated when grain is being transhipped to land often by mechanical elevators and chutes Eightyfour men employed in the port of Marseilles were examined and 21 of them exhibited signs of pneumo- comosis On first starting on the work the men " experience cereal fever somewhat reminiscent of mill fever in cotton mills which after a few days passes off but as years go by from 5 10 20 bronchial attacks become more and more frequent and associ ated with asthmatic attacks while the men become dyspnoeic and cyanotic Of the 21 cases detected 9 were in the first stage 11 in the second and only one in the third Prevention lies in controlling the dust as far as possible by engineer ng appliances : such as closed machinery and exhaust draughts and in medical examination before employment and every six months thereafter In contrast to silicotic fibrosis with its inevitable advance rest and freedom from exposure would seem to perm t the lungs to recover slowly L. Collis MORGIS G G. & FORBES JJ JJ Review of Literature on Health Hazards of Beryllium and its Compounds C.S. C.S. Bur Min Inform Circ 7574 Wash 1950 July 23 pp 38 re This circular presents a review of literature per- taining to health hazards arising from beryllium poisoning Beryllium occurs in nature as a minor constituent of pegmatite ores especially of beryl a complex aluminium basis of emerald gems , beryllium silicate it is the It is found in many countries in small amounts and is coming into many industrial uses chiefly in alloys with copper Sach alloys have high fatigue strength high tensile strength and electrical conductivity hardness aul resistance to corrosion One particular use is in the production of fluorescent lamps although for this purpose the less toxic cadmium is being substituted Many cases of berylhosis have been reported due to direct contact with the skin or to the action of its dust on the lungs or to general toxaemia Contact with the skin will set up erythema of exposed parts and set conjunctivitis if the skin be abraded particles may get in and cause indolent ukers which heal only al skin g years general liable t lamp All bro of direc Inha may st insidio anorex or l But th tosis latent condi of w bouts Cyan heart No Diagi clincl The serie- living bery sourc work ( lim per vent ated but dust filter exal toge bery Pro sho bg nerte AL ME MOT TARENETO of to th de ce the Ler) ti- do emine the pret an OC of to 111 lex