Document XO16XKYwrQoB3X7Bnoqnbx3yd

FILE NAME: Power Generation (POW) DATE: 1961 Dec DOC#: POW016 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Published Article from Trade Journal DECEMBER, 1961 Boilermakers-Blacksmiths Journal Published monthly by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers. International Headquarters, New Brother hood B ld g., Kansas City 1, Kans. This Union is affiliated with the American Fed eration of Labor and the Congress of In dustrial Organizations. WILLIAM A. CALVIN Editor-Manager EARL B. ASHBROOK Director of Publications 592 New Brotherhood Bldg Kansas C ity, 1, Kansas Telephone DRexel 1-2640 CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send your old and new mailing ad dresses directly to 592 New Brotherhood Bldg , Kansas City 1, Kansas. Members and secretaries should include local union number and register number, together with aid and new addresses of the recipient. CONTRIBUTIONS Contribution^ and news concerning the craft and the labor movement are welcome from our readers. Letters and articles should be written on one side of the paper and accompanied by the name and lodge number of the writer. Photographs should be glossy prints 8 x 1 0 inches in size. The JOURNAL reserves the right to edit copy to conform with space limitations and or ganization policy, SUBSCRIPTIONS The price of this m agazine is 25c per copy; $3.00 per year. ADVERTISING Advertising rates w iii be furnished upon application to the Editor-Manager. W e wiii not knowingly accept advertising of products or services which are not as represented. POSTMASTER ATTENTION N ew firott'erlio&B Kansas City 1, Konsas Second-doss postage paid ot St, Louis, Missouri. Volume 73 DECEMBER, 1961 Number 12 WILLIAM A. CALVIN, Editor-Manager Space Sim ulator l ruler Erection by Member- oi Lodge *>2 .......... .......... 4- Actions-- AFL-OIO Executive Council W i I aiur 8 Your Washington R eporter---Iher,' //. Jcnkur- 10 Extended l nemplovment Benefits for Railroad Workers- 12 Guard Your Health--Herbert K. Hiram*. M.D. .......... 14 Titanic Challenge to America ................ . 16 Problem of the B ig Family--Sidney Margoiiu.<.............. 18 i) & A On the Wage and flou r Law---Continued 20 -Death and Disability (d a im s ................... 22 Boilerm akers National Health and Welfare F u n d - Field Construction .... . 31 TECHNICAL ARTICLES Conical Hopper Intersected by Rectangular Chute- I. M. Craig 24 Fabrication of Penstocks--0. 1i Kothe. 26 O b 't ' O pv ^'L SONG THE CAROLERS SIN G God bless your home and the people there. May the skies that touch your roof be fair-- Yoyr hearth burn bright, and your candle shine. And the snowflake sparkle on your pine. May you have stars when the nigh* is old, And a muffler warm against the cold. May health and joy attend the cook,' And laughter live in your breaktos nook-- Your roads be dear and your fortune wide. The friends that you love be ut your side-- A child tis laugh, and a tre to cheer iound yo ur ye a *. And mey.yodr heart have seng* to sting! ' fif2j -- ESTH^ WOOD Extend your Years T here is a great deal of propaganda about the value of having a periodic health examination. Neverthe less. unless a person is compelled to have a physical examination through his employment, most people do not have a physical check-up unless they are \vorri*ri about some illness. How useful is the periodic physical examination."1 There is no question that such an exam ination is highly beneficial. Not only are conditions often uncovered about which the patient knew nothing, hut, also, the experience is an educational one Experiences in industries where executives are re quired to have a periodic phvical examination reg ularly disclose a sizeable number of conditions about which the individuals had previously not known. In many cases, these discoveries are early enough to In* life saving and to oifer the individual a healthier and more comfortable future. Multiphasic Examinations Many unions and other groups have tried out what is called the "multiphasic examination." This is a partial physical examination, in which the individual is put through a series of tests, such as electrocardiagram, proctoscopy, blood tests, urinalysis, chest x-ray, hearing test, vision test, height and weight, and, frequently, filling out a short questionnaire. Such a battery of tests can be done on large numbers of individuals over a short period of time without requiring a physician The results then are examineud Inny' pnhvysicians as celume*s* t<o,, the presence of abnormal conditions. If an abnormal condition is found, tlie individual is then informed and invited to see his doctor for a more complete examina- The Big JCaishr Foundation W alfh Plan" on*t ie West Coast has been using this method for several years. Their statistics in Oakland and San Francisco show tint out of 150,000 multiphasic examinations, abnormalities were discovered in forty per cent of the laboratory tests and fourteen per cent of the electrocardiagrams. Sugar in the urine was found in six per cent and one. per cent of these persons were discovered to have hitherto un suspected diabetes: four per cent showed anemia. More than two per cent of the women and four ami one half per cent of the men were found to have polyps in the rectum or colon of which over one per cent were proven to be cancer. The early diagnosis offered them a better chance for total recovery. In one out of each 1000 women, doctors found a possibility of cancer of the. uterine cervix, permitting prompt treatment in a disease which takes the lives of 13,000 woi * u each year in the United States. Of 2000 patients taking the eye test, fourteen per cent were referred for further examination and one per cent of these were found to have glaucoma. Glaucoma is the country's most common cause <f blindness, but prompt treatment can save the. eyesigh* Cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and glauenma are ex* amples of conditions which .ut 1. 4*u*i f.-d e uH through the physical examination. Thousands >! U\- , can thereby be saved. What's In a Physical Examination? What should yon expect when you nit tu f'r* t V doctor for a complete physical examina *mi."' <1h r ilb;*doctor at least one hour of your tin' Hr wtif take a thorough history of vour previous iliin-*<: \ . tor *i\ U i f toms. vour occupations and other matter?s\ tilhiaa*t rtLaV your physical and mental health, f'robaifb*hIv half X*1 til* time will be devoted to the history i. li is m<HV U%i portant than any other single part nt the health <xan ination. A fter the Inxtoiv, he will examine von trout head to foot In the woman patient, ties will m* hide i pelvic examination, minding taking a vme.u of tb* secretion from the vagina and cervix *f he uterus ft*# testing for cancer rells. \II patients will also have at examination of the rectum. Proctoscopy In addition, the doctor will give you an appointment to have a proctoscopic examination. This is an examina tion of the rectum and lower part of the colon f large bowel) with the aid of an instrument. It is perfect I> harmless, even though a hit uncomfortable for a few minutes. I urge that you not refuse to have this examination because you may have heard that, it is painful or uncomfortable. Proctoscopy can help the doctor find a growth in the rectutn or colon which is still early enough to cure. This examination may he the difference between life and death. The examination will include certain tests of the 14 exai remi of tl blood and urine, an electrocardiagram and various other tests which the doctor may feel are necessary after he has completed the history and physical examination. Ilow often should you have a health examination? No one knows fpr sure. In general, it is a good idea to have such an examination about once every two years up to the age of forty and about once a year after the age of forty. We have known for a long time of the value of periodic examinations of the healthy child. We are only beginning to appreciate the benefits of the periodic examination of the apparently healthy adult. Preventive Medicine The regular health examination is a basic part of "preventive medicine." It is the cornerstone of the group practice prepayment medical care plans, such as the union health centers like Union Health Service of Chicago, Health Insurance Plan of New York. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative of Seattle, Group Health of Washington, D. C.. etc. Occupational Disease: Pneumoconiosis in Boiler Scalers Dust disease of the lungs (known medically as pneumoconiosis) has only recently been recognized as an occupational disease among boiler scalers. Investigations have found this disease among men engaged in scaling the boilers of ships. The men work in confined spaces, and in a very dusty atmosphere. The scale that forms in the interiors of the boilers is removed with hammer and chisel. Access to the interior of the boiler is through a narrow manhole. In addition to sealing the inside of the boiler, the flues (pipes) which cross the boiler's interior are cleaned by long .wire brushes. The dustiest work is shovelling the flue dust from the back end of the boiler. Thus, scalers are exposed to both the flue dust and boiler scale. These dusts contain free silica, silicates, iron and soot. After a period of years of exposure, the boiler scaler may begin to have shortness of breath, a cough with expectoration (sometimes with blood in the sputum). The process will often then continue on until the lung develops fibrosis (scarring) and emphysema (loss of elasticity of the lung tissue) with gradual worsening of the symptoms. Some eases may develop tuberculosis as a complica tion. In one British study, a number of the scalers were found to have cancer of the lung, along with pneumo coniosis X-rav pictures of the chest usualh will show evidence of the disease However, not infrequently, a worker may show severe xvmptnms with few x-ray findings, or even the reversi Most of the published reports of the disease have come front Great Britain Whether the disease is occur ring among American boiler scalers, and whether it occurs among those who scale boilers other than those on ships, are matters that should be investigated. Dr. Abrams can not answer individual correspond ence. Within the limits of space he will discuss in his column problems suggested by the readers. Write Dr. Herbert K. Abrams, Medical Consultant, 592 New Brotherhood Bldg., Kansas City 1, Kansas. Two types of predicted for this year T h e U. S. Public Health Service has emphasized the importance of using available supplies of influenza vaccine to immunize persons in the high risk groups be- onset of winter tSUJOSt persons of any age who suffer- from 'bmnictHSeifii'es-t the heart, lungs and circulatory system: pregnant women; and persons over 65 years of age. Between September 1957 and March 1960. persons in these three groups accounted for most of the 8 6 .0 0 0 influenza- related deaths. I w 11'iJStm '-'I B - While the vaccine has been in short supply in many areas, the Service anticipates that there will be ample supplies to immunize the high risk groups before the end of the year. In times of short supply, this protection may be limited to only one injection since it is the first shot that gives most immunity. Until supplies become ample, vaccine should be limited to the high risk groups. Vaccine manufacturers have produced more influenza vaccine during the past three months than in the pre ceding twelve-month period. They have been asked by the Service to employ all feasible means to expedite delivery of new vaccine shipments, exercising the usual precautions for the purity arid safety of the product. Some increase in local outbreaks of two types of influ enza--A and B-- has been forecast by influenza experts for this season. This forecast is based on observed influ enza cvek&...Tvot A. influenza tends to. occur in two or i- u a o a n m r t m this since March I960. Type B influenza generally comes in four to six year cycles and has not been prevalent in this eountrv for more than six years. Both types were prevalent in various countries last year, notably in Eng land and japan.