Document DB5MbwGbaZ8okDkG9jpvL1qn

0 s Report on Effects of Asbestos Dust on the Lungs and Dust Suppression in the Asbestos Industry. / PARTI. THE OCCURRENCE OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS AND OTHER PULMONARY AFFECTIONS IN ASBESTOS WORKERS. 1.--iKTMOUCnOK. This Report is baaed upou lie data obtained in an extensive investigation daring tie yun 1*23 ud 1*23. Tie inquiry was initiated by. tie Factory Departratal of lie Home Office following lie discovery in February, 1923, uf a case of son-luiercular fibrosis of tie lunge in an asbestos worker, of cuflicieut evenly to necessitate treatment in hospital (Seiler'a Cate*). I'rior to tile, tils Department Sad knowledge of only two doatie of sal*r*ton worker*, about whom tier* was expert opinion tint tie Inhalation of *sb*to duet had at least contributed to, if not caused, tio fatal outcome. The first of these, oow referred to as tie "Montague Murray Case,'* occurred in 1900, but all list is known ooaoeromg it ia contained in tie evidence riven by Dr. Montague Murray in 1000, before tie Departmental Committee on Coiupetumtioa for Industrial Diseases'. In tile case pest mortem examination confirmed tin* clinical diagnoeia of extensive noa-tubercular pulmonary fibrosis. The eeautd (Cooke'a Case*) occurred in 1921. Here, although Cooke1 and Stuart McDonald* were of tie op--aion that tie lungs showed a progressive duet fibroeia together with a chroam CUbercalous infection, tie etiological rclatiauibip between the inhalation 0f asbestoc dust, and fihrosi* of tie lungs would have been atrengtieoed by tin sbvenct of a tuberculous infection. An. early survey of the industry ia 1910-11 by the Department did not diedose any evidence of the exislexica of a serious health haeard in tie industry, but soate experiments on animals conducted ia 1912 by Professor J. XI. Beattie of Sheffield University for the Department thawed that tie inhalation of athetint dust will cause a mild degree of fibrosis. When, therefore, investigation of Seiler** Case thawed that other industrial and infective causes of fibrosis could be definitely excluded, the necessity of deciding whether tie supervention of Uu* disease in an'asbestos worker was an exceptional occurrence, or evidence of i grave health rule in the industry, vu spparent and tie investigation referred to was undertaken. 2 --Errtcre or I*xxtxjt Dust Umk tux Lohcs. The most important local effects which may follow the inhalation of dust iadude pulmonary and bronchial catarrh, asthma, bronchitis, fibrosis of the bugs, and secondary changes, such as emphysema, local or diffuse. These changes in tie longs, which may be looked upon as a measure of the efforts of the living tissues to repel or incarcerate the irritant partidet of duet, necessarily cause_interference with the general efficiency of tie lungs The impairment of functional capacity may be slight or severe, sod temporary or permanent, de pending on tie vsriety of dust, and on other factors, such as concentration of dust and length of exposure. Moreover, individuals whose lungs have been affected as the result of the inhalation of some dints, (how an iucreaaed susceptibility to the supervention of respiratory iofections, such se tuberculosis or pneumonia. Fibrosis of the luug* is rocogaised to be tie most important lesion caused by the inhalation of dust, sad tin pronetieas of workers with t dust fibrosis to be effected with pulmonary tuberculosis has bech shown to be tie main cause of tie increased mortality rate from the latter disease ia certain dusty oceupa. tians ^ >. t 0: t j.