Document 2jpZXqZ9dGexzoqKmaJ8LR3LL

ABSTRACTS FROM CURRENT LITERATURE 529 The most common physical causes of professional erythrocytosis are the roentgen and ultraviolet fays and radioactive substances. Physical trauma and altitude are causal factors of industrial erythrocytosis. Chemical causal factors in a high percentage of workers are carbon monoxide, arsenic, manganese, iron, antimony, cobalt, lead, phosphorus, sulfur, nitrous gases, cyanides and benzene and its derivatives. The main physical causal factors of professional leukoblastosis are radioactive substances and roentgen rays. The main causal factors in industrial leukoblastosis are physical trauma, especially on the spleen, radioactive substances and most of the chemical substances used in industry. The most dangerous substance is benzene and its derivatives. Workers in industries in which chemical substances are used should have careful examinations of the blood and of the urine at least' twice a year and the proper care and change of work if progress of a blood disease threatens. Combat of Occupational Anthrax: Question of Danger of Anthrax in Handling Imported Sheep and Goat Skins. S. Hailer and K. Heicken, Ztschr. Hyg. 131:443, 1950. Hailer and Heicken state that there is statistical proof that in Germany anthrax is associated chiefly with imported skins, pelts, hairs and bristles, because during both world wars, when such imports were cut off, the incidence of anthrax decreased precipitously. They made cultures and serologic tests on imported sheep and goat skins, in order to detect those that were infected with Bacillus anthracis. Cultures on 2,338 goat skins revealed 503 that were infected. The skins coming from Asia showed the highest incidence and the severest degree of infection, but those originating in Balkan countries, Spain, Morocco, Mexico and the West Indies likewise included a considerable percentage of infected skins. . The sheep skins originated mostly in Asia Minor, and it is known that wool originating there is frequently infected with B. anthracis. Bacteriologic tests on 1,902 sheep hides revealed .164 (or 8.6 per cent) that were infested with anthrax spores. These results indicate that persons whose occupation involves contact with these imported skins are in considerable danger of contracting anthrax. Separate bacteriologic tests on hair and wool and on the shorn skins gave positive results most frequently for hair and wool. These results seem to corroborate Gegenbauer's belief that anthrax spores may occur as saprophytes in the pelts of healthy goats or sheep, but this is not. definitely proved, because the possibility exists that the pelts became contaminated subsequently, perhaps during transport. Case of Pneumonoconiosis Attributed to Kaolin. H. Bastenier, Arch, beiges med. sociale hyg. 8:81 (Feb.) 1950. Bastenier reports the case of a woman aged 52 who for 39 years did airbrush work on ceramics before they were glazed. This work was done in a room 8 M. by 5 M. in size, completely separated from other work rooms. No dust was produced. A real mist, formed by droplets of' color, was floating at the level of the respiratory organs and covered the head and the clothing of the worker. Frequently the nostrils became obstructed completely. Severe dyspnea forced her to discontinue the work. This dyspnea had become gradually worse in the course of five years, and for about one year the patient had been coughing in the morning and in the evening. The cough was dry, with little or rio-expectoration. Auscultation revealed harshness of respir ation in both pulmonary fields. The respiratory rhythm at rest was 30 per minute. Roent genologic examination of the lung revealed an extremely fine accentuation of the network of the pulmonary tissue, producing a diffuse spiderweb aspect. Successive thoracic roentgeno grams confirmed the micronodular infiltration, which was more pronounced at the bases. An investigation by the service for occupational diseases revealed that the patient had never been exposed to the inhalation of silica but that she had been exposed to inhalation of color particles which were composed of equal parts of cobalt oxide and a watery suspension of kaolin.