Document LK95p6OVQe7jmnpdEjOrnneeg
ST085246I*
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE
PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT DOW-1602
OCCUPATION
AND
HEALTH
ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HYGIENE, PATHOLOGY AND SOCIAL WELFARE
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Volume I
A-H
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GENEVA
1930
S T 0 852 465
PREFACE
In the brief introduction which the collaborators in this Encyclo paedia of Industrial Hygiene have written for their work, the origins of the publication are clearly stated.
In 1919 the International Labour Conference at Washington requested the International Labour Office " lo draw up a list of the principal processes to be considered as unhealthy " But it was impossible in practice to draw up such a list, at least in a complete or final form, on account of the number and complexity of the opera tions which in some aspects could be considered unhealthy, the con tinuous evolution of industrial technique which does away with caifses of disease in one direction while giving rise to fresh possibilities of disease in another, and the indefinite character of the conception of " unhealthiness " which varies at different times and in different countries.
These considerations led to the idea of substituting for the list of unhealthy processes requested by the Conference, a sort of encyclo paedia which would analyse from the triple point of view of the work to be done, the worker employed, and the environment in which he worked, the various tasks involved in human labour, the properties of the substances dealt with, the operations involved in handling and working up these substances, the possible sources and carriers of intoxication and disease, the statistical data on the effects as far as known, the symptoms, the diagnosis, the therapeutic and prophylactic treatment, and the protective legislation already in existence.
It was a difficult task, and one which was bound to be open lo the reproach of being neither complete nor final. Bat how could it be otherwise ? No one can hope to fix once for all something which is living, evolving, progressive. Although, as teas mentioned above, the evolution of technical practice in industry may create new dangers for the worker every day, yet the progress of this same technique and of industrial hygiene may, on the following day. do away with certain existing dangers, which must, notwithstanding, be recorded and analysed in this work. One of the virtues of this work is just the fact that it is not final. It seizes one moment in social life and
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VIII PREFACE
in the progress of industrial hygiene, but it requires to be kept con stantly up to date precisely because it is a scientific as well as a practical work.
This is its dual nature, as it is that of every piece of research undertaken by the International Labour Office, the strict purpose of which is to make science the servant of practical action. This Encyclopaedia is not a work of pure propaganda; it never sacrifices scientific objectivity to the ideas which the authors naturally have at heart. On the other hand, it is not purely a treatise on medicine or hygiene; it claims no originality in the treatment of the various questions; it does not claim to be an exhaustive study; on each subject it merely gives a summary of the existing position of science, with figures taken from statistics for the sake of example and not in support of any argument. It has tried to keep a middle path between a purely scientific work intended for the expert, and a popular manual. It is meant to supply workers, employers, their organisa tions, and practising doctors with the information necessary to enable them to discover, combat, and prevent occupational diseases, the economic consequences of which are as harmful to production as their social consequences are to the world of labour.
In carrying out this plan it has been the privilege of the Inter national Labour Office to have the collaboration during the last few years of eminent experts who have taken part in the compilation or the supervision of the Encyclopaedia. The International Labour Office takes this opportunity of expressing its sincere and warm gratitude to them. They must, however, have already found the first and greatest recompense for their work in the work itself. Each of them is an apostle as well as an expert in his own country. All arc living illustrations of the fine, comprehensive definition of " social medicine " given by Pieraccini: "Social medicine purifies, if one may say so, the work of doctors; its programme and its essence are purer and more homogeneous; it removes doctors from contact merely with individuals and makes them benefactors of the whole human race".
The International Labour Office, in collaborating with these scientists for some years, has obtained a clearer consciousness of the scope of its mission. The Preamble to Part XIII of the Peace Treaty included among the urgent tasks of the Office the protection of workers " against sickness, disease and injury arising out of their employment". The signatory States, in agreeing to this statement of principle, seem to have accepted the dictum of Lord Beaconsfield, that the health of the people is the most important of all problems. The Office has put at the disposal of those concerned a statement as to the actual position of science and has conveyed to the legislator the elements of physiology and physip-pathology necessary to him for setting up a code of industrial health; by collecting and concentral-
ST0852467
PREFACE
IX
ing this information in one work, and thereby increasing Us range and appeal, the Office is continuing the work of those who, since the inception of " large-scale " industry, have endeavoured to protect human life, openly or insidiously menaced by new technical processes.
The fact that the Office was able to secure the collaboration of a good number of these persons is the best proof of its international utility. For many years before the war, the studies of social savants had led to the partial and more or less sporadic introduction of legal protection for the worker against the harmful consequences of his employment. But this edifice, like so many others, was still incom plete and on an insecure basis, so that it was overthrown, if not actually swept away, by the torrent of war. The willing workers on the original building found numerous obstacles in their path when they tried to resume their work, and especially to reunite the bonds of international collaboration. The Office is proud to think that it may perhaps claim the merit of having provided for the first time since the war the means and habit of intellectual co-operation, irrespective of frontiers, for the welfare of all. And it is just because this work was for the welfare of all, and for the protection of human health, that the Office rejoices in the resumption of this co-operation, and in its share in bringing it about-
The Introduction to this Encyclopaedia bears the motto of Ramazzini: Medici munus plebeios curantis est interrogare quas artes exerceant -- " The duty of a doctor attending the common people is to enquire what trades they practice". The old practitioner knew well that a knowledge of the patient's trade might be a valuable factor in arriving at a diagnosis. This simple practical piece of advice throws a strong light on industrial civilisation. It is only when dealing with the " common people " that the doctor must think of their occupation. There are numerous sources of disease which do not affect the privileged classes of society, but only that class which Saint-Simon called " the most numerous and the poorest " and which nevertheless by its work gives rise to all wealth, all progress, and all happiness. For a long time this work, which is indispensable to the prosperity of the community, brought the worker nothing but physical, intellectual and moral poverty. But the conscience of the modern world has been awakened to this monstrous social paradox. Too much misery lies behind humble daily tasks; they lead to too much physical, and hence also moral, suffering. " We live ", says Pierre Hamp, " on the sufferings of others. Everyone makes life a torment for some of his fellow-men. How many people earn their living pleasantly? All do so in unpleasant and often intolerable con ditions. To love one's occupation is to be happy, but where are the occupations which one can love? "
In ancient societies, dangerous and disagreeable tasks were
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x PHP.FACE
reserved for criminals. Fourier, for all his fertile imagination, dared not foresee that the progress of industrial technique would one day lead to the suppression of unhealthy or dangerous occupations: he reserved filthy or dangerous work for his " small gangs Nowadays the problem is entirely different: the conscience of modern society realises that occupational diseases should not be reserved for certain persons, but that they should be made to disappear. The origins and the causes are now known, and all that is wanted is will and organisa tion. There are plenty of other sufferings and plenty of other infirmities to which mortals are exposed. .-Is Puccinotti has said: "Life must be preserved for labour, arid labour must be made harmless to life". Work must be healthy if it is to be pleasant and agreeable and if some of the causes of that "unrest " which, as Part XIII of the Peace Treaty says, is "so great that the peace and harmony of the world are imperilled " are to be done away with.
It is hoped that this modest work which the International Labour Office has prepared by patient toil and now offers to the judgment, and still more for the service, of workers, employers, and society as a whole, may contribute its share to realising this high ideal. The efforts of its editors have been directed towards rendering science a guide to practical action. This aim will have been achieved if the work appears to be an indispensable part of that edifice, the erection of which will be the next task: the international code of hygiene and industrial health.
ALBERT THOMAS.
ST0852469
INTRODUCTION
Medici munus plebeios curantis est interrogate quas arles exerceant.
Ramazzlm.
Origin of the Work
During the First International Labour Conference, which met at Washington in October 1919, the Commission on Unhealthy Pro cesses adopted the following resolution:
" It should be referred to the International Labour Office (0 draw up a list of the principal processes to be considered as un healthy. "
The Commission admitted, however, that it felt embarrassed by the absence of any definition of what constituted an " unhealthy process ",
On the proposal of one of the delegates, the Conference recom mended that the Health Section (the creation of which within the International Labour Office was then contemplated) should be entrusted with the work of drawing up the list in question, since such work was naturally one of its functions. " So far as the injurious processes are concerned it is not primarily a case of investigating main principles. As a rule, it is the detailed examination of how to apply particular precautions to varied and different industries, and that means an examination of a great mass of statistics and analysing chemical and medical data. "
For some years the question of unhealthy industries has atttracted the attention of experts and even of public opinion, which has demanded legislative action, sometimes international action, on lines likely to produce the best possible results both for industry and for the worker himself. Such action for the diminution, and in some cases the entire abolition, of all serious occupational dangers is a worthy task, but cannot but be slow, since unhealthy occupations are very numerous and often very complicated. Although certain industries cannot for the time being be made completely innocuous, the progress of modern science and technique enables far-sighted employers, conscious of the advantage to be gained therefrom by industry, to adopt measures and new processes which tend to make dangerous processes less dangerous. It should not be forgotten, however, that scientific progress leads to the discovery or creation of products and processes which, when adopted in industry, are often a source of new dangers to the worker. Unfortunately, occupational risks do not lurk only in the raw materials, in the finished product,
ST 0852U70
xii INTRODUCTION
or in by-products, but are often concealed in intermediate manu facturing operations and are only detected by the experts when disease has already attacked the worker.
The expression " Prevention first " is often heard. That is all very good, but in order that adequate and complete prophylaxis may be organised, it is first necessary to examine the patient, know the disease, its etiology, its pathogenesis, its symptoms, its evolution, and, above all, its extent in the strata of society affected -- in this case amongst the working classes. Without this preliminary know ledge, there can be no question of prevention.
Earlier Efforts
Even before health experts considered the question of drawing up lists of unhealthy processes (see, for example, Layet's work, published in 1875), legislators had contemplated similar lists, though from1 a different point of view. Such lists of undertakings classified as dan gerous, unhealthy, or obnoxious are more concerned with the nuis ances and dangers which such undertakings may involve for the neighbourhood (e.g. smells, smoke, fumes, waste water, dangei' of fire or explosion) than with the health of the workers in the factory itself. Later, under pressure of public opinion, legislators were com pelled to draw up a list of the processes on which the employment of children, women, or young persons should be prohibited, or only permitted under certain conditions.
It is impossible to refer here to all the pioneers in industrial hygiene and pathology who dealt with this question, or all the treatises on the subject [see article "Occupational Diseases: Historical Review "]. It will be sufficient to mention some of the " lists of industrial poisons ".
The earliest to appear were the list drawn up at the instigation of the International Association for Labour Legislation and those published on their own initiative by certain scientists; for example, that drawn up in 1908 by Sommerfeld in collaboration with Oliver and Putzeys (Jena, Fischer, 1908) and revised in 1910 by Fischer (Frankfort-on-Main, Aug. Weisbrod), and Sommerfeld's later list of 1910 (Jena, Fischer). More recently there have been the lists of Muller, of Zurich (1919), of Kober and of Wadsworth (in Kober and Iiayhurst's treatise on industrial hygiene), the pamphlet of the Metro politan Life Insurance Company (New York, 1921), that of the Bureau of Labour Statistics (U. S. Department of Labour, Bulletin No. 206, Washington, 1922), the pamphlet drawn up by Dr. Robertson, of the
Industrial Health Division of the Australian Ministry of Health (Melbourne, 1922), and finally, Industrial Diseases: Rapid Reference Manual for the Use of the Medical Profession, arranged by C.T. Graham-Rogers, M. D., Inspector of Factories, New York State Department of Labour, Division of Industrial Hygiene (1924). The Industrial Poisons Committee (Chemical Section) of the National Safety Council of the United States submitted to the 1924 Annual Congress a study entitled Summary of Present Practice in Industrial Poisoning Prevention. In 1925 there appeared the second edition of the Aerztliche Merkblalter, dealing with occupational poisoning and injuries resulting from chemical substances, edited by the Association
ST085247I
INTRODUCTION
XIII
of Factory Doctors in the German Chemical Industry (Verlag Springer,
Berlin). The lists, which were at first confined to giving in tabular form
the data concerning industrial poisons (e.g. industries and processes in which poisoning may occur; mode in which poison enters the system; symptoms; special measures), have little by little been extended to include all other causes of disease, such as temperature, compressed
air, humidity, dust, infection, etc. This logical and necessary develop ment of the lists shows clearly that the term "unhealthy" is not limited to its former restricted sense, which only covered poisons.
Scope of Phhsent Volume
In these circumstances, and for other reasons which need not be urged here, the compilation of an international list such as that contemplated by the Washington Conference becomes extremely diffi cult, not to say impossible. It may be considered that the most practical solution would be the preparation of national lists drawn up by each country separately; but at the same time it is the function of the International Labour Office to collect and publish all information which will enable experts and the authorities concerned to learn what has been done and suggested in this field in the various countries. Such information, which would be the objective result either of a permanent investigation in the various States Members of the Inter national Labour Organisation or of data drawn from published works and carefully checkedis of the utmost interest to manufacturers, workers, medical inspectors and industrial experts, medical practi tioners, experts, etc.
Acting in accordance with the spirit, if not the letter, of the Washington resolution, and in agreement with its Correspondence Committee on Industrial Hygiene, the Office decided to interpret the
' The treatises on occupational diseases and industrial hygiene Of Pieraccini, Loriga, Carozzi, Giglioli, Ranelletti, Ferranninl, for Italy; of de Mosny, Sergent, Balthazard, etc., for France; of Hope, Hanna and Stallybrasa, Oliver, Prosser White, etc., for Great Britain: of Weyl, Rambousek, Lehmann, Gottstein, Schlossmann and Teleky (Vol. II. of Treatises on Social Hygiene, 1928), of Chajes (1929), etc., for Germany; of Ldwy, for Czechoslovakia; of Hejermans, for the Netherlands; of Kober and Hayhurst, Alice Hamilton, etc., for the United States; the reports of the proceedings of national and international congresses on occupational diseases and hygiene; of original articles appearing in technical periodicals: Journal of Industrial Hygiene (Great Britain and United Slates); Public Health Reports, the American Journal of Public Health, the Industrial Doctor (United States); La Medicina del Lavoro, La Rassegna di Previdenza Sociale (Italy); Zentralblalt filr Geiverbehygiene (Germany); Zeitsckrift fUr Getuerbehygiene (Austria); Annales d'Hygiene publiqiic, industrielle et sociale (France); Bulletin de I'Inspeclion midicale du Travail (Belgium); Bollettino del Lavoro e della Previdenza (Italy); Higjena Pracy (Warsaw); Gigiena Besopastnost i Patologia Truda (Russia), etc.; the medical press of various countries, etc.; the theses; the chapters dealing with the factor "work" in treatises on special subjects; the treatise by Oppenheim, Ullman and Rille on skin diseases of occupational origin (Verlag Voss, Leipzig, 1926); the treatise on toxological chemistry by Kober (Germany), by Ogier and Kohn-Abrest (France), etc.; the treatises on diseases of women, diseases of the eyes, etc.; the most important publications on technology and industrial chemistry, etc.
S 7" 0852472
XIV INTHODUCTION
word " unhealthy " in the widest possible sense, so that in addition to toxic, infectious, and parasitic causes of disease the articles cover all other causes capable of endangering the health and life of the workers.
Scheme of Compilation
The series to which this forms an introduction deals therefore with three main groups of questions:
(i) The work.
(a) The worker.
(.3) The environment.
The work is analysed into its constituent elements, such as mat erials, industries, trades, and causes of disease (chemical, bio logical, etc.). Each article is prepared on a uniform plan, which in the case of causes of disease includes the following subdivisions: chemistry or biology; sources of poisoning or of infection; uses of the dangerous product; its mode of action; statistics; symptoms; diag nosis; method of detection in the environment or the individual; prevention; legislation; bibliography.
Industrial technique is described in the order of the operations involved, showing in each case the peculiar dangers involved and tin requisite preventive measures. The scope of the technical descriptions is determined, on the one hand, by the nature of the unhealthy con ditions and,' on. the other, by the preventive measures employed or prescribed by legislation.
Among the numerous and often detailed statistics in the posses sion of the Office, those have been selected which are the most recent and deal with the essential facts.
In general, the figures selected are restricted to absolute figures or relative values cited by authors or factory inspectors, without any attempt being made to interpret or compare these. The statistical methods followed being very varied, the number of workers engaged in a given factory visited or exposed to a given risk being unknown, it would be highly imprudent to analyse these figures with a view to arriving at any conclusion whatsoever. ' On the other hand, these figures represent nevertheless an interesting aspect of the question or an indication which deserves to be brought to the attention especially of those desirous of engaging in the study of any given problem.
The subdivision "Dangers" describes the characteristic forms of disease in each industry. In cases of the more important forms of poisoning the reader is referred to the special article on this poison; for example, in the article on "Hair Cutting" a reference will be found to the article on "Mercury Poisoning". In the paragraph headed " Pathology " the reader is given an account of the morbid forms noted amongst workers engaged on the processes in question. Similarly, as regards legislation, a brief summary, is given of measures for the protection of women, young persons, and, where such exist, of adult men, with information as to provisions on the notifica tion and compensation of. industrial diseases, special legislation, etc.
The worker is considered in relation to the products with which, and the environment in which, he works. The object of the articles
INTRODUCTION
' ST0852413
xv
on the physiology and pathology of the various organs and systems, personal and collective hygiene (including medical or social welfare within the factory), etc., is mainly to recapitulate the data given under the headings of industries and causes of disease. They are, to some xtent, a more complete review of problems which could not be dealt with in detail in the technical articles (e.g. an article on the eye summarises the various diseases of that organ encountered in the various industries).
Under environment fall general studies on subjects such us atmosphere, premises, heating, lighting, removal of dust, gas and fumes, humidification, etc. Sanitary accommodation (cloak-rooms, lavatories, privies, etc.) is dealt with in a single article entitled " Per sonal Hygiene ". These studies, based on data furnished by up-todate industrial hygiene, are treated separately with a view to avoiding repetition.
Limitations
Every effort has been made to make as complete a statement us possible on each subject, but obviously it is very difficult, for exam ple, to classify the dangers which threaten the worker in their order
of gravity: there are too many factors involved, even in a single country. This is an essentially national question, indeed, in some cases a local one, which cannot be taken into account here.
In fact, the same industry, the same .process even applied in two different factories, though these may be for instance in the same
town, will exert different effects on the health of the workers in accordance with the special conditions under which the work is carried out (workrooms, varying methods of work, up-to-date plant or otherwise, health supervision, etc.).
It is equally difficult to make a distinction between, definitely established facts and data which may seem doubtful or inaccurate. In each individual case enquiries are made erf qualified experts on any point which, on revising the articles, the members of the Corre spondence Committee on Industrial Hygiene think doubtful. After this consultation, the Office takes the final decision that it thinks proper. It should nevertheless be emphasised that all the data published, although the result of the most detailed research and of information collected with the utmost care, cannot be considered as final.
The hygienic and health conditions dealt with in the various articles must not be considered as the result of a permanent enquiry at present conducted by the Office. They merely represent the results of investigations conducted by experts or by factory inspectors in the most varied localities and also at very different dates. Obviously these results are neither comparable one with another, nor can they be regarded as a " photographic " representation of the present state of the industry in question, and still less that of any one factory in particular, which could have no ground whatsoever for imagining that the conditions as stated in the articles might imply criticism of its methods.
It has been said that science is revolutionary. Like matter, it is always in process of transformation; therein lies its great strength
and its raison d'itre. Science lives only because it doubts, because
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INTRODUCTION
it refuses to accept as fixed and final the truths enunciated even by the most eminent authorities. In science there exists no authority which can settle a question finally, putting one party in the right and the other in the wrong. This being so, in preparing the Ency clopaedia the custom of placing in parentheses after a statement of opinion the name of the author responsible therefor has been generally followed.
The section dealing with " legislation ", which is as up-to-dafe as possible, is not intended of course to include all legislative measures on any given subject, but merely seeks to give the most characteristic or important provisions as examples. Similarly, in the "bibliogra phies" at the end of each article there are only mentioned the most recent and important works, which will enable the reader to refer to general bibliographies on the subject. In this connection it may be recalled that the Office publishes quarterly a very detailed Biblio graphy of Industrial Hygiene classified by subject and by author.
It was further decided to illustrate certain parts at least of this publication (e.g. articles dealing with industries and hygiene) with photographs, sketches, diagrams, plans, etc., showing recent innova tions and improvements. The work is completed by a series of crossreferences and an alphabetical table of contents which will facilitate readers' enquiries.
The publication, therefore, will have neither the systematic form of a list nor the scope of a large treatise on hygiene; its only object is to furnish as wide and accurate information as possible on questions which are of daily occurrence in the world of labour, in connection with hygiene, pathology, and medical aid.
In order not to make the work too voluminous, it has been thought
well to condense the articles, though without sacrificing any essential matter, in effect to adopt a somewhat telegraphic but nevertheless clear and intelligible style. The technical and medical sections in particular are made neither too concise for the uninitiated to under stand them, nor so detailed as to be unintelligible except to one or two experts, who in any case are already acquainted with the subject or could look it up in other documents.
Medical men will no doubt note omissions in the various articles and sections on occupational diseases (especially in the data relative to morbid anatomy and therapeutics). These omissions are deliberate, since the work is intended not solely for doctors, who can, if necessary, find the information they require in any medical handbook, but also, and above all, for workers, manufacturers, and their organisations. The chief object iB to disseminate as widely as possible the informa
tion required for the detection of occupational diseases, to^ indicate
the steps to be taken for their cure and prevention, and to lav down general principles for the better protection of the workers.
Expert Collaborators
In view of the extensive knowledge and experience required for this publication, and of the responsibility assumed by the Office in preparing and issuing it, it has been judged essential, in drawing up the plan of work and in drafting certain articles, in addition to enlisting the aid of the members of the Correspondence Committee on
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XVII
Industrial Hygiene, to appeal to certain of the foremost experts in the
various countries who were considered as being particularly fitted to
write one or other of the articles. The articles written by collaborators or by the Health Service
are submitted for consideration to the members of the Correspondence Committee on Industrial Hygiene and to experts in the particular subject. The final text of each article has been drawn up on the basis of the information and suggestions received by the Service.
Each article has been signed by the author of the original report. The signature replaces the formula adopted in the brochure edition: " According to an original report by............... ..................... .............., revised by the Correspondence Committee on Industrial Hygiene of the International Labour Office ". Where the original text has been prepared by the Hygiene Service under the responsibility of Professor L. Carozzi, Chief of the Hygiene Service, it is marked thus***. This sign replaces the above-mentioned formula.
The work appeared at first in the form of separate brochures. The present edition in volume form contains many modifications and additions rendered necessary by subsequent discoveries, new conceptions and observations furnished by science and technology subsequent to the publication of certain articles. It may therefore be said that this volume represents a new, revised and extended edition of the work already published in pamphlet form.
The Office takes this opportunity of acknowledging the valuable assistance given by Dr. Legge, formerly Senior Medical Inspector of Factories in Great Britain, and by Professor E. L. Collis, University
College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, Cardiff, in the prepara tion of the English translation of the articles, a task which, in view of the many technical terms employed, was one of unusual difficulty and responsibility.
Like the pamphlets, the volume appears in the two official languages of the Office, English and French.
ST0852W16
List of Collaborators1
I
* Agasse-Lafont, Dr. Head of the Department of Pathology, Professor at the Institute of Industrial Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Paris.
Ali.evi, G. Lecturer in Industrial Pathology, University of Milan. * Atzleh, E. " Kaiser Wilhelm " Institute of Industrial Physiology, Dort
mund. Attxrbom, Aksel. First Engineer, Department of Industry and Social
Insurance, Stockholm. Balthazars, V. Professor of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Paris. Member of the Academy of Medicine. f Barcbron, L. Factory Inspector, Paris, Baykt, Dr. Professor of the Free University of Brussels. Belli, C. M. Lecturer on Colonial and Naval Hygiene in the Faculty of
Medicine of the University of Naples. Biondi, C. Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of
Sienna. * Boulin, P. Divisional Factory Inspector, Lille. * Brezika, E. Professor of the Polytechnic School, Vienna. Cathcart, E. P. Professor of Physiological Chemistry at the University
of Glasgow. * Chajes, B. Lecturer at the Charlottenburg Polytechnic School, Berlin. Clark, J. Director of the Medical Department of the Norton Company,
Worcester (Mass.). * Collis, Edgar L. Talbot Professor of Preventive Medicine, University
of South Wales. * Cristiani, H. Director of the Institute of Hygiene, University of Geneva. Dearden, W. F. Certifying Surgeon, Secretary of the Association of Cer
tifying Factory Surgeons, Manchester. DELADRitRS, L. Director of the Belgian Industrial Association for the
Prevention of Accidents. Dkssent, 0. Medical Inspector of Factories, Namur (Belgium). Devoto, L. Director of the Clinic for Occupational Diseases, University
of Milan. Drinker, Philip. Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Public Hygiene
of Harvard University (Mass.). Duckering, G. Works Inspector, Director of the Wool Disinfection Station
at Liverpool.
* The names of the members of the Correspondence Committee on Industrial Hygiene and the Safety Committee of the International Labour Office are preceded by an asterisk.
ST0852477
XX LIST OF COLLABORATORS
Engel, Dr. Of the Federal Public Health Office, Germany.
Ferrannini, Prof. Cata"nia.
Filippini, A. Director of the Hygiene Laboratory of the Central Health Office of the State Railway, Rome.
Fischer, Dr. President of the Council of the Federal Insurance Office, Germany.
Frey, Dr. Director In the Federal Public Health Office, Germany,
f Frois, M. Factory Inspector, Paris. Fuss, Mine. Doctor of Medicine.
f Gastkr, L. Secretary of the Illuminating Engineering Society of Great Britain, London.
Gerbis. Works Medical Consultant, Erfurt. Giovanni, De J. Director of the Medical Department of the Sicilian
Sulphur Mines Consortium, Caltanissetta. * Glibert, D. Chief Inspector, Ministry of Industry, Labour and Soda)
Welfare, Brussels. * Hamilton, Alice. Assistant Professor of Industrial Medicine, Harvard
Medical School, U.S.A. Hayhurst, Emery R. Professor of Hygiene, Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. Heri.itzka. Professor of Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine of Turin.
Hermann, M. Director of the Hainault Provincial Institute of Hygiene and. Bacteriology, Mons.
Heyermans, L. Director of the Health Department of the City of Amsterdam.
Hoffmann, Dr. Statistician, Prudential Insurance Company, New York.
Holtzmann, Prof. Medical Inspector, Karlsruhe, Baden. Jellinek, S. Director of the Electropathological Museum, Institute of
Forensic Medicine, University of Vienna. Kalmus, E. Honorary Lecturer on Industrial Hygiene at the German
Higher Technical School, Prague. Kober, G. Professor of Hygiene, Georgetown Universitv, Washington,
DC. * Koelsch, F. Medical Inspector of Factories, Bavaria; Lecturer at the
University of Munich. Kohn-Abrest, E. Director of the Toxicological Laboratories of the Pre
fecture of Police, Paris. * Kranenburg, Dr. Medical Adviser to the General Labour Department,
The Hague. Krantz, Dr. Ministerial Councillor, Dresden. Krauz, C. K. Professor at the School of Higher Technical Studies,
Prague. Langelez, A. Chief Medical Inspector of Factories, Brussels. * Legge, Sir Thomas. Formerly Senior Medical Inspector of Factories,
Home Office, London. Lehmann, H. K. Director of the Institute of Hygiene, University of
Wilrzburg. * Leymann, H. Former Counsellor of State, Berlin.
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LIST OF COLLABOIIATORS
xxi
* Lorange, 0. Director of the Factory Inspectorate, Oslo. * Loiuga, G. Chief Medical Inspector of Factories, Ministry of National
Economy, Rome. * LOwy, J. Assistant at the Medical Clinic, University of Prague. Mai.voz, Dr. Director of the Provincial Institute of Bacteriology, Li4ge. * Martin, E. Professor of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lyons.
Di Mattei, E. Director of the Hygiene Institute of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania.
Mori, A. Lecturer in Industrial Pathology, University of Pisa, Italy.
* Myers, Ch. S. Director of the National Institute of Industrial Psychology, London.
Oblath, 0. Lecturer in Ophthalmology, Trieste.
Orenstein, A. J. Superintendent, Department of Sanitation, Rand Mines, Johannesburg.
Ottolenchi, D. Director of the Institute of Hygiene, University of Bologna.
Perubsia, F. Professor of Rontgenology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan.
* Pieraccjni, G. Lecturer on Occupational Diseases at the University of Florence.
PnT.u-UCA, G. Professor in the Facultv of Medicine at the University of Madrid.
Preti, L. Assistant, Professor, Clinic for Occupational Diseases, Univer sity of Milan.
Price, G. M. Director of the Joint Board of Sanitarv Control in the Ladies' Garment Industries, New York.
Prinzinc. Sanitary Consultant, Ulm. Ranelletti, A. Lecturer in Industrial Pathology. Formerly Medical
Inspector of Factories, Municipality of Rome. Rasch, H. Director of the Factory Inspectorate, Hamburg.
Ritchie Rodger, T. Hull (England). Rolants, E. Chief of Service at the Pasteur Institute, Lille; Member ol
the Superior Council of Public Hygiene of France. Sand, R. Secretary-General of the League of Red Cross Societies, Paris. Sayers, Dr. Chief Surgeon, Rureau of Mines, U.S. Public Health Service,
Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Schmidt, P. Director of the Medical Clinic, University of Halle, Germany. Sclavo, A. Director of the Institute of Hvgiene, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Sienna. Scott, Dr. A. Broxburn, West Lothian (Scotland). Silberschmidt, Dr. Director of the Institute of Hygiene, Facultv of
Medicine, University of Zurich. Stassen, M. Chief Medical Adviser to the National Association of Belgian
Railways, Brussels.
Sternberg, Max. Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, and Hospital Surgeon, Vienna.
Telsky, Prof. District Industrial Medical Officer, Dtisseldorf. Thiele, Prof. District Industrial Medical Officer, Dresden.
ST0852479
xxu
LIST OF COLLABORATORS
Thompson, Gilman. New York. Ullmann, K. Sanitary Consultant, Vienna. Vernon, H. M. Research Worker on the Committee lor the Study of
Industrial Fatigue. Viale, G. Professor of Physiology at the University of Genoa. Wade Wright, Dr. Medical Chief of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Com
pany, New York. Weisbach, W. Director at the Academy of Hygiene, Dresden, and of the
Courses in Hygiene at the University of Halle. Wenzel. Industrial Councillor, Berlin. White, R. Prosser. Dermatologist and Senior Physician, Royal Albert
Edward Hospital, Wigan, Lancashire. Winslow, C. Professor of Public Health, Yale School of Medicine,
U.S.A. * Wirgin, Dr. Professor of Hygiene and Bacteriology, Faculty of Medi
cine, University of Upsala, Sweden. Zangger, H. Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University
of Zurich. + Zielinski, Dr. 3. Of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare,
Warsaw.
S T 0 8 5 2 480
Contents of Volume I
Page
Abattoirs. -- Slaughterhouses . . 1
Abrasives (Artificial)...................... 4>
Accidents in Industry.................. 10
Accumulators......................................... 20
Acetanilide............................................ 35
Acetic Acid........................................ 35
Acetic Aldehyde............................... 36
Acetone.................................................... 37
Acetylene............................................. 38
Acids.......................................................44
Acridine..................................................47
Acrolein.................................................. 48
Actinomycosis -- Streptotrichosis . 48
Agricultural Labourers........................51
Ah': Diminished Pressure .... 58
Air: Hot and Humid Atmospheres. 62
Air (Liquid).................................... 74
Air of the Workroom............................ 75
Air: Testing in Workshops. ... 81
Alabaster...............................................89
Alcohol (Intoxication by) .... 90
Aldehydes.............................................100
Alizarin............................................. 100
Alkalis.................................................101
Allyl Alcohol........................................102
Alum...................................................... 103
Aluminium............................................ 103
Amber.................................................... 107
Aminophenols....................................... 108
Ammqnia............................................ no
Amyl Acetate........................................ m
Amyl Alcohol........................................115
Amylene.................................................116
Anguillulosis........................................ lie Aniline................................................. 117
Anisidines..............................................131
Ankylostomiasis....................................131
Anthracene............................................ 143
Anthraquinone ...
tie
Anthrax...................! . 1
! 145
Antimoniuretted Hydrogen. . . . 155
Antimony.................................
1^5
Apqatropine
' 159
Arsenic (Poisoning by) . . . ' 139
Arseniuretted Hydrogen......................168 Arsenobenzol........................................ 177
Artificial Flowers .
177
Artificial Silk. .
' ' ' 178
Ar`is{f............................... Asbestos.................. Ashes, Cinders . . Asphalt....................................
! 184 Ig9 191
` i9i
Page
Atropine................................................ 193 Auramine............................................ 193 Aurantia................................................194 Aurine................................................ 194 Aviation or Aviators' Sickness . . 194 Azines................................................ 203 Azobenzene....................................... 204 Azo-Triphenylmethane..................... 204
Bakelite................................................. 205 Bakery Trade....................................... 205 Barium (Compounds of)..................... 215 Bark..................................................... 217 Basic Slag............................................218 Basket Weaving............................... 224 Benzene (Benzol).............................. 228 Benzene Derivatives..........................236 Benzidine ............................................. 240 Bismuth.................................................244 Bleaching .............................................245 Bleaching Powder.............................. 249 Blood ana Industrial Poisonings. . 252 Blood (Changes due to Occupation). 271 Boatmen............................................275 Bones Industry...................................278 Boots and Shoes (Manufacture of). 282
Breathing Apparatus, Bespirators, Gas Masks.................................291
Breweries......................................307 Bromine.......................................... 314 Bronzing and Bronze Manufacture. 316 Broom............................................. 321 Building Trade............................ 323 Buttons (Manufacture of) . . . . 327
Oadmium..................................... 330
Calcium.......................................... 332
Calcium Carbide........................332
Calcium Cvanamide................... 334
Camphor (Synthetic)................... 339
Candles (Manufacture of). . . . 340
Canning and Food Preserving
Industries................................. 343
Cantharides................................. 347
Carbanilide..........................
348
Carbon Dioxide............................ 348
Carbon Di- (or Bi-) sulphide. . . 352
Carbon Monoxide........................362
Carbon Tetrachloride................... 370
Carpet, Hangings and TableCovers 372
Celluloid..........................................374
Cellulose..........................................381
S T 0 8 5 2 4 81
xxiv
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I
Page
Cements......................................... 335 Cerium.......................................... 393 Chemical Trades........................ 394 Children and Young Persons
(Employment of).........................405 Chlorates......................................427 Chlorides (Alkaline)....................428 Chlorine.......................................... 429 Choroform..................................... 436 Chloropicrtne.................................438 Chromium and Chromates. ... 437 Clerks and Office Employees. . . 443 Clothing or Garment Trade... 451 Coal Tar......................................461 Cobalt..........................................471 Cocaine.......................................... 473 Cochineal..................................... 474 Codeine.......................................... 474
Colcothar........................................ 474
Colocynthine................................. 475
Compressed Air Work............... 475
Confectioners and Pastrycooks. . 499
Copper..........................................501
Copper Boiler Making......................510
Coral...........................
513
Cork and Linoleum Industry. . . 515
Cotton Industry................................... 519
Cresol, Cresyllc Add.......................... 552
Cyanogen and its Compounds. . .553
Diamond Cutting........................561 DimethyUulphate...............................565 D (nitrobenzene................................... 567 Dinitrophenol........................................576 Divers.................................................. '582 Dock Labourers................................... 592 Dusts, Fumes, and Smoke. ... 003 Dyeing................................................ 628
Dyes..................................................... 636
Effort..................................................... 645 Electric Lamps................................... 653 Electrical Apparatus.......................... 658 Electricity............................................ 663
Electroplating. ...............................672 Emetine................................................. 677 Enamels, Enamelling.......................... 678 Ether......................................................684 Ethyl Alcohol................................... 691 Ethylene and its Derivatives. . . 694 Explosives............................................ 698
Factory Surgeons.............................. 714 Fatty Substances ............................... 722 Fatigue in Industry.......................... 727 Fatigue Tests........................................730 Feathers................................................ 733
Felt Hat Industry...............................735 Ferrosilicon....................................... 742 Fertilisers............................................ 745 File-Cutting........................................749 Fire-Lighters........................................ 755 Firemen................................................. 755 First Aid............................................ 759 Fishermen............................................ 767
Flax and Linen Industry. ... 775
Page
Flour Mills................................... Fluorine and Hydrofluoric Acid. . Food of the Industrial Worker . . Foot and Mouth Disease.................. Forges and Ironworks.................. Formaldehyde, Formalin ....
Formic Acid................................... Fulminate of Mercury.................. Fur Trade........................................
785 789 793 800 802 806 810 811 815
Game Keepers, Hunters, Trappers, Breeders, etc................................
Garages............................................ Gardiners and Market Gardeners. Gases, Fumes................................... Gas Works................................... Glanders........................................ Glass Industry............................... Glove Manufacture...........................
823 824 829 833 849 866 867 888
Glue.................................................
%ft9 : ::::::::::
Gold Mines........................................... 907 Graphite....................................... 915
Hair.................................................... 917
Hair-Cutting (Hatters Furriers'
Processes).....................
918
Hairdressers....................................... 931
Heating................................................. 933
Hemp Manufacture..........................940
Hides and Skins.............................. 946
Homework............................................ 964
Horn Articles (Manufacture of). . 971
Horsehair, Bristles, and Hair. . . 974
Hotels and Restaurants......................984
House Porters...................................987
Hydrochloric Acid.............................. 989
Hydrocyanic Acid...............................993
Hydroxylamine................................... 999
List of Articles in Volume II
Ice-Cream Makers. Incandescent Mantles Industry. Industrial Diseases (see Occupational
Diseases). Industrial Health (Propaganda). Industrial Hvgiene (Workshops). Industrial Lighting. Industrial Physiology, industrial Waste Waters. Infectious Diseases. Iodine. Iron Carbonyl. Iron, Pig Iron and Steel Industry. Ironing. Ivory.
Jewellery Industry. Jute.
ST0852482
LIST OF ARTICLES IN VOLUME II
XXV
Kapok.
Lace. Lactic Acid. Laundry Work. Lead. Lead Colours. Lead Compounds. Lead Poisoning. Liftmen. Lignite. Lime. Litharge. Lithopone.
Malaria. Manganese. Matches (Lucifer). Mechanical Engineering. Medical Inspection. Medical and Allied Professions (Occupa
tional Pathology of). Menthl Hygiene. Men of Letters, Speakers, etc. Mercury (Quicksilver)Mercury (Compounds of). Mercury (Mines of). Metal Grinding and Polishing. Metallization. Methyl Acetate. Methyl Alcohol. Methyl Bromide. Methyl Chloride. Methylene Chloride. Mica. Mines (Hygiene in). Miners' (Coalminers') Diseases. Miners' (Coalminers') Nystagmus. Mirrors. Molvbdene. Mother of Pearl. Mouth and Teeth.
Nailworks. Naphthalene. Naphthylamine Native Labour (Hygiene). Nickel. Nickel Carbonyl. Nitric Acid. Nitro and Amino Derivatives. Nitrobenzene. Nitrocellulose. Nitrogen. Nitroglycerine. Nitrous Fumes. Noises.
Occupational Diseases (contd..): Locomotor System. Urogenital System. Eyes. Ear, Throat, Nose.
Occupational Poisonings. Odours. Opium. Osmium. Oxalic Acid. Oxalyl Chloride. Oxygen. Ozone.
Painting Industry. Paper Mills. Paraffin. Paranitraniline. Paraphenylen diamine. Parasites. Pearls (Artificial). Perfumes. Personal Hygiene. Petroleum. Pharmaceutical Chemists, Druggists
and Herb Vendors. Phenols. Phenylhydrazine. Phosgen! Phosphoretted Hydrogen. Phosphorus. Phosphorus (Red or Amorphous). Phosphorus (Compounds). Photo-Engravers. Photographic Plates. Picric Acid. Piece Work. Pitch, Tar. Plaster. Plastic Earths. Platinum. Pneumatic Tools (Compressed Air,
Hammers). Podophilline. Poisonous Woods. Postal, Telegraphic and Telephonic
Services. Potassium. Pottery Industry. Precious Stones. Primers and Percussion Caps. Printing Trades. Pyridine. Pyroligneous Acid.
Quinine.
Occupational Diseases: Historical. Definition and Compensation. Clinical Examination. Statistics. Circulatory System. Respiratory System. Digestive System.
Nervous Diseases.
Radium and Radioactive Substances. Rags. Red Lead. Refrigerating Plants. RCntgen Ray Operators (Occupational
Pathology).
Rice. Rope Works. Rubber or India-Rubber Industry.
ST0852483
xxvi
LIST OF ARTICLES IN VOLUME II
Salicylic Acid. Scavengers. Scientific Management and the Human
Factor. School Teachers. Seamen. Selenium. Selenluretted Hydrogen. Shale Oil Industry. Shoddy. Silk. Silos. Silver. Skin Diseases:
Nails. Stigmata. Effects of Heat and Cold. Slate. Soap Industry. Social Welfare. Sodium and its Compounds. Soldering (Lead). Solvents. Soot. Sport (Hygiene and Pathology of). Starch works. Stone Industry. Straw. Studios. Strontium. Submarines. Sugar Refining. Sulphate of Soda. Sulphur Dioxide. Sulphur Mines. Sulphuretted Hydrogen. Sulphuric Acid. Sumac. Superphosphates. Syphilis.
Talc. Taxidermists. Tea and Coffee.
Telluretted Hydrogen. Tellurium. Temperature. Tetanus. Tetrachlorethane. Tetra-Ethyl Lead. Textile Industry. Thallium. Thorium. Timber Industry. Tin. Titanium. Tobacco. Toluene. Tortoiseshell. Transport Workers. Trinitrotoluene. Tripe and Gut Works. Tuberculosis and Silicosis. Tumours of Occupational Origin (Occu
pational Cancer). Tungsten. Turpentine. Type Founders.
Ultramarine. Uranium.
Vanadium. Varnish and Lacquer ManufactureVentilation. Vocational Guidance.
Watch and Clock Makers. Welding (Autogenous). Welfare Workers. Wine and Spirits Industry. White I.ead. Women's Work. Woollen Industry. Woollen Industry (Disinfection).
Xylene.
Zinc.
ST 0852484
- 189 --
VSBESTOS
nth~,ny,m*yTohr,e
-which must Californian
be renewed every law enjoins that
no child under at least 16 years of age
be employed in a studio unless duly
horised and after medical examination
ried out by a medical man In the Child
elfire Service. These examinations are
~i every three months. Children tak-
n,g part In film production must not be
employed more then eight hours a day.
Including lessons lasting four hours given
by a qualified teacher, paid, but. not
sleeted, by the studios. Employment of
children before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Is
..prohibited.
Bibliography
eri. * La patologla professionals degli artlstl dramatlci. * Jl Ramazzini, 1913. Florence.
"or other sources, see - Bibliography of industrial Hygiene, published quar terly by the International Labour Omiz.
***
Asbestos - French: Amiante, Asbeste, Pierre & colon.
-- German: Asbest, Amianth, Bergflachs. . -- Italian and Spanish: Amianto.
- ' Chbmical Propkrties : Asbestos is a brilliant filamentous min eral, oily to the touch, white, silvery grey, greenish or bluish. Its density Is 2.3-2.9. Its chemical composition consists, accord ing to-its origin, of calcium silicate and magnesia or of a magnesia silicate accom panied by quantities of iron, more or less extensive. Analysis of different varieties of asbestos reveals a silica content of 40-50 per cent. -- *1.2 in Canadian asbestos, *1.8 in Siberian asbestos, and 51.1 In the Alrican variety -- while oxide of magnesia varies between 2.3 (African) and *1.7 (Canadian), oxide of iron between 2.52 (Canadian) and 35.8 (African). In Siberian asbestos there is besides 16.39 per cent, of alumina. When cut up it presents a silky cotton-like form which lends itself easily to weaving, it is incombustible, prevents heat loss, is a thermic and electric insu lator and is not attacked by most acids.
Of the three different mineral varieties known by the name of asbestos, it is serpentine asbestos or chrysolite and hornblende asbestos which are the most commonly used; the first of these is the most sought after variety. Industrial asbestos is chiefly derived from Canada, Russia, Italy, and the Transvaal.
Technology
' Extraction involves two distinct P^Jations: (1) quarrying of. the asbestos-bearing rock, generally. mined
in open quarries or. In countries having a severe winter climate, in galleries; (2) separation of the asbes tos from tbs surrounding rock. The rock is cut in terraces, sometimes reaching a depth of some 150-200 it. Quarrying is more economical and effective than underground work even Respite exposure to weather. Drilling and blasting are engaged in as In ordinary stone quarrying. The miner al .got from the quarry is rough sorted, diflerent grades being chosen for. length of fibre and sent to " cobbing sh<ds " where dressing is carried out. This consists of separating the abestos fibres .from the surrounding rock and may be done (a) by hand -- the stone being broken by a small sledge hammer and the fibre thrown there after Into one box and the waste into another -- or (6) by machine (" mills ").
Hand separation (" picking and sort ing .'*) Is not. difficult since the fibres lie in layers more or less loosely attached to the rock and can frequently be picked off with the fingers ; hut hand dressing is not thorough and the - waste material from the cobbing tables contains much fibre, the further utilisation of which represents large profits to the mine, and these fine pickings have to be dressed mechanic ally. They are passed after .drying to crushers where they are broken by successively finer-set rollers and fur ther reduced by cylindrical flberisers and the cyclone machine, which re duces them to fine powder. The cottonlik;e fibres come to the surface and are mechanically withdrawn by suction. The pulverised rock and ground asbes tos are then separated by passing them through a shaking screen. In some' mills the particles of iron present are taken up by strong . electric magnets. The crude fibre on separa tion from the waste rock resembles mineralised wool. The asbestos is graded according to the length of fibre on a series of cylindrical screens. It is then carded and packed in sacks and placed on the market in bulk.
Industrial Uses
The uses to which asbestos is pul are very varied: The long fibres are used in - the textile industry for the manufacture of cloth, braid, rope, theatre curtains, decoration, uphol stery, hangings, and for finishing pistons for steam engines. The shorter fibres together with an agglomerating agent are used In. the manufacture pt felt,- "paper, cardboard, varnishes, covering agents (especially, for strong
ST 0852485
ASBESTOS
- 190 -
rooms), cements, rubber tyres lor (See also article " Tuberculosis ''.) In
automobiles and bicycles. Asbestos is an asbestos weaving factory In Saxony
also used as an electrical Insulator the workers complained of headaches
for covering electric wiring (or high and loss of appetite. These affections
and low pressure currents, , in the were caused by fumes given off by a
manufacture of tiles, planks, panelling rubber solution with which the asbes
and exterior coverings for buildings, tos cloth had been coated to eliminate
mattresses, heat insulating gloves, dust
firemen's clothes, laboratory equips An investigation carried out in Can
ment, porcelain, balls for gas fires (made of fireclay and asbestos), etc.
ada in 1931 revealed that hygienic conditions were greatly improved as a
result of the adoption of an effective
Dangers and Hygiene
system of ventilation. Nevertheless, a local doctor with long experience
The worker engaged on the extrac stated that respiratory troubles, and tion and manufacture of asbestos is in particular tuberculosis, were of very
constantly exposed to danger from frequent occurrence amongst asbestos dust, more especially, however, In workers.
Wve operations of spinning and weav Rambousek drew attention to the risk
ing. of lead poisoning during the weaving
The baneful Influence of the dust in of- asbestos when a thread of lead is
relation to the production of tuber culosis is brought out in the Annual
added to the weft, as is sometimes the ease.
Report 0/ the Chief Inspector of Fac- Marked frequency of chronic con
tone* for England and Wales for junctivitis with hypertrophy of the
1910, which records 5 deaths from rims of~ the pupils has also been noted
tuberculosis amongst 40 workers amongst the asbestos workers of
engaged in an asbestos weaving fac the Island of Cyprus. The workers in
tory, where the most dangerous pro question were chiefly engaged in grind
cess was revealed to be the weaving ing, screening, and packing the
of asbestos- mattresses composed of asbestos in sacks.
bags of woven asbestos filled with The weaving of asbestos has only
short asbestos fibre. They were placed developed importance during the last
on a table and beaten out flat by a twenty years. Now that it is widely
man with a wooden flail, which pro practised the application of local
cess occasioned the production of exhaust systems during such processes
much dust. Women sewed the mat as that above described is called for.
tresses into sections using asbestos All processes from extraction onwards
threads and as they worked beside the unquestionably involve a considerable
beaters they also of -necessity inhaled hazard, and American and Canadian
much dust.
life insurance companies generally
Towards the beginning of 1924 a rafuse asbestos workers on account of
fatal case of poisoning by asbestos the assumed deleterious conditions In
dust was reported at Rochdale (Eng-< the Industry.
land). The victim was a woman The lack of more accurate and
who had been employed in an asbestos detailed data in medical literature
factory. A post-mortem examination regarding this industry in its various
revealed death as due chiefly to a branches, Including the utilisation of
fibrosis of the lungs due to the inhala by-products, is to be deplored in view
tion of mineral particles and In part of the self-evident importance of asbes
to tuberculosis. A microscopic exam tos dust as a predisposing cause of
ination of the lungs and of dust sam pulmonary tuberculosis, more especi
ples taken from three different work ally since the rapidly-increasing
shops of the factory revealed the development of industries utilising
same black particles present in each, asbestos adds greatly to the urgency
alike in form and dimensions.
of studying the conditions with a view
Another fatal case was Btudied in to their amelioration.
1927 by Cooke and Hill (Great Britain). A striking example of the noxious
property of asbestos dust is instanced by the following case: in an aBbestos
All provisions already described for withdrawal of 'dust should be enforced In this industry.
spinning and weaving factory (Calva dos) there were 40 deaths in the five
Legislation
ears 1890-1895. The mortality rate ecreased considerably with the installation of a good system of local ventilation over the carding machines.
In Italy boys under 15 and girls under 21 years of age are excluded from work shops where dyeing and weaving of asbestos are engaged in, unless effective
ST0852486
ashes, cinders
-191 --
ASPHALT
$
i 'k,
. &
means are taken to prevent the diffusion of dust throughout the atmosphere.
Bibliography
AURiBAULT. * L'hygi&ne et la scurlt6 des ouvriers dans les filatures et tissagea d'amtante ' : Bull, de {'/nip. du Tra vail, 1906. pp. 120-132. Paris.
Simpson, F. W., in Bril. Med. loum., 26 May 1928, p. 865. London.
United States Department of labour, Bureau of Labour Statistics. Bulletin No. tsi, pp. 176-180. ***
Ashes, Cinders
French: Cendret. -- German: Atchen. -- Italian: Cencrt. -- Spanish: Cenizat.
Ashes present problems from the point of view of industrial hygiene, not only when cinders from hearths are in question (dangers from hot dust, presence of certain products, etc.), but especially when they are employed for special purposes. Thus, for instance, treatment of goldsmiths' ash by lead may cause injury by reason of the metallic dust which it liberates.
Hygienic measures assure covering of any openings giving on to the public streets, thorough ventilation of the workshop, the installation of hoods for the furnaces and cupels connected to the chimney by a strong exhaust. If the treatment is effected by means of mineral acids, application of measures of protection against toxic fumes is re quired, viz. condensation of lead fumes. Noisy machinery should be isolated, and measures applied for evacuation of residues and the protection of workers from the heat and glare of the furnaces.
Pearl ash from combustion of organic material, such as shoots of vine, wine lees, vinasse from beetroot, etc., is com posed of impure potassium carbonate and its treatment liberates sharp, pi quant, thick, and disagreeable fumes and injures vegetation in the neighbourhood. Factories should be erected at a long distance from dwelling houses and cal cination should be effected In closed ovens. Gases and fumes should be led to special hearths or requisite measures taken for their destruction. The chimney must be a very high one. It would be advisable to collect the Incandescent mass of carbonate of potassium in a special apparatus so constructed that the gases can be led to the hearth or into apparatus where they can be burnt. Hoods should be
Installed above the evaporation boilers. The water should be led to a sewer: the residues require fairly frequently to be removed ana can be utilised as manure.
By the expression " dust shot with a lead content" is meant the impure oxides which form on the surface of each bath containing lead or lead alloys. This scum or black dross is removed as it forms and is often put aside on the floor, where it becomes mixed with other substances. In ap pearance it resembles ashes, hence the French expression " cendret de plomb ".
Kelp ash is lixiviated for the extrac tion of the salts of potassium. The ash is got by burning different kinds of sea-weed known as kelp or wrack and thrown up on the seashore. Dried in the sun, they are thereafter reduced to ashes in furnaces lined with refractory bricks. The product of combustion " kelp ash " is in the form of a solid compact block, from which the salts of potassium, are extracted. The blocks are then ground and put into special apparatus for gradual dilution with water. The solution is concentrated in iron boilers and poured into vats where, after cooling, the potassium chloride is deposited in crystals, which are then subjected to purification.
Hygienic precautions to be recom mended are impermeable flooring, cement walls to the height of one metre, hoods provided above the boilers to draw off the fumes to the chimney, all openings to the public highways to be kept closed, and neutralisation of the water used before it enters the sewers.
The Recommendation adopted at the International Labour Conference at Washington (1919) regarding the protec tion of women and children against lead poisoning demands the exclusion of women and young persons under eighteen years of age from work involving manipulation, treatment, and reduction of asnes containing lead.
***
Asphalt
(Mineral Pitch, Hard Bitumen)
French: Asphalte, Polx minirale, Btlume. -- German: Asphalt, Erdpech, Erdharz.-- Italian and Spanish: Asfalto.
Earth and rocks impregnated with bitu men are called asphalt. In mineralogy, however, the name asphalt is also given to bitumen in a free state. It Is highly important to distinguish between these two products. Asphalt Is generally in the form of fine grained rock, black or dark brown in colour according as it is more or less