Document XOkwjQnOoVeJ8JEDEy385OwkG

TUMORS OF THE SKIN 83 first cases of this type were recorded in Great Britain by Butlin in 1892, who observed scrotal cancers in 7 tar workers. Fifteen years later (1907), Wignal placed on record 38 cases of pitch cancer of the skin affecting workers em ployed in patent fuel plants. During the following year, Oliver added 3 cases of skin cancer observed in workers handling coal grease, 2 cases in asphalt 1t workers and 6 to 7 cases in tar workers. Two cutaneous epitheliomas occurring % in gas house workers were seen during the years 1902 to 1910 by Brockbank and Stopford at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Hope noted the occurrence of 64 pitch cancers in South Wales during the years 1914 to 1918, and men tioned the presence of tar epitheliomas among the stokers employed there in a industrial establishments. O'Donovan reported in 1920 his observations on 2 pitch cancers and 8 tar cancers, and added, in 1929, 18 tar cancers which had been treated between 1903 to 1920 in London hospitals. Legge placed in 1922 the total number of tar, pitch and paraffin cancers which were observed before 1920 at 89 cases. Bridge and Henry mentioned that there were recorded 8 fatal cases of coke-oven tar cancer and 7 cases (1 fatal) of producer-gas tar cancer during 1912 to 1926. The occurrence of 7 scrotal cancers in workers exposed to tar was noted by Southam and Wilson in 1922. Sladden recorded 41 cases of pitch cancer among briquette plant workers during 1918 to 1925. This investigator mentioned that of 125 pitch p_ workers with specific pitch lesions of the skin, 33 had malignant cutaneous reactions. Downing reported seeing between 1922 to 1930 73 pitch workers with papillomas and 14 with epitheliomas. In addition to these observations from individual investigators covering more or less locally restricted regions or industries, there are the official data issued by the Chief Inspector of Factories and the information supplied by Kennaway concerning the incidence of this industrial neoplasm in England and Wales. During 1920 to 1923, 100 cases of pitch cancer and 34 cases of tar cancer occurred, according to official data, in workers in England and Wales. Bridge, and Bridge and Henry, supplemented these data in 1930 with the information that, during 1920 to 1927, 163 cases of pitch cancer, 202 cases of tar cancer, and 54 cases of pitch, tar, creosote and anthracene cancer had been recorded with the Home Office, while, during the year 1928, 175 cases of epitheliomatous lesions from occupational contact with mineral pitch tar, 20 cases from pitch, and 40 cases from tar exposure were notified. The correspond ing figures for the year 1929 were, according to Bridge, 27 cases of pitch cancer and 60 cases of tar epithelioma. The same official source noted for the years 1933 to 1937, 146 pitch and tar cancers, 240 epitheliomas in workers of tar distilleries and 85 epitheliomas in gas works employees, making a total of 471 cases during 4 years. Individual reports from recent years mentioned the occurrence of tar cancer by Goulden and Stallard (1933) and of three malignant lesions among numerous benign pitch warts treated at the Radium Institute in London