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Industrial Hygiene Digest INDUSTRIAL HEALTH NEWS LITERATURE ABSTRACTS MEDICAL A^T X ENGINEERING CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGICAL LEGAL.. decision* and trend* AUGUST, 1948 (VoL 12, No, 8) INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE FOUNDATION 4400 FIFTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH 13, PA. FOUNDATION FACTS Foundation Fact* la a monthly nrwa-Wttar losuad to Industrial conoorna holding memborahlp In Industrial Hygiene Foundation. The Foundation la a non-profit association of Industries for the advancement of healthful working conditions. August, 1948 No. 8 Annual Meeting and Conferences, Nov. 17. 18, 19 Plans are progressing for the 15th annual meeting of Members of Industrial jygiene Foundation -which -will he held at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, cm November l8. to in past years the program far this meeting is mainly for management representatives freed Member firms--officers, department heads, operating men and staff specialists. Meanwhile, arrangements and agenda are being -worked out for "Hie four pro fessional conferences. These will be held els follows: , November 17 i Physicians University Club "" Engineers Mellon Institute "" Attorneys and Compensation Men Hotel Webster Hall NOVEMBER 18: ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS MELLON INSTITUTE November 19: Chemists and Toxicologists Mellon Institute Meanwhile, plans are under consideration for a Ceramic Conference to be held in connection with the annual meeting this year in response to requests from feaber companies in that industry. This is intended principally for companies in the glass, pottery, refractory, abrasive and related fields. It will probably be held ai Hcvember 19. A number of industry representatives will meet here on September 25 to complete the arrangements. Further announcements will be made as plans far the irnmal meeting and the conferences develop. Intel Reservations Meanwhile, members should arrange hotel reservations immediately. Hotel Winter Hall and the Hotel Schenley promise to do everything possible in providing fccoranodations. xn communicating with them, mention the meeting. Downtown hotels here also been advised of the dates and their cooperation enlisted by the Pittsburgh Contention Bureau. $ :4 Mellon Institute Issues ^th Annual Report * ; "Meeting the Needs of Mankind by Scientific Research," the 55th annual report of the Director of Mellon Institute, Dr. E.E. Weldlein, has Just been issued. &is impressive 1+4-page publication summarizes the diversified research projects, Mre and applied, currently in progress at the institution--projects ranging from 1 rork in chemical physics, treatment of waste pickle liquor and silicones, to foods i *d nutrition, chemicals from corn and new fire fighting agents. The report includes t summary of the work of Industrial Hygiene Foundation as well as' a resume of acti- - JJties of the Chemical Hygiene Fellowship of which Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corp. ; ** donor..." (Copies of the report will be sent to Foundation Members upen request.) Annual Meeting and Conferences: Nov. 17, 18, 19..... AL HYOleNE FOUNDATION 4400 FIFTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH <1). PA Tnrfustrlal Hygiene Digest - 9 August, 19^8 compensation payments, exclusive of medical benefits and excess insurance costs vas $8,000,000, Interrupted civilian construction during the -war caused a decline to about half that amount, .Workmen's compensation claims under the government construction program of the war years were largely under Federal rather than State Jurisdiction, Total economic losses of in dustrial accidents, including medical benefits, excess insurance costs, wage losses, costs of interrupted production, damage to equipment, and other losses are estimated by insurance statisticians to be nearly ID times the cost of workmen's compensation benefit payments. This cost is borne ulti mately by consumers. It offers a serious challenge to the construction in dustry, labor, and government for a cooperative program to prevent construc tion accidents and a. challenge also to the medical profession for the kind of treatment that will enable disabled workers to return to their Jobs as promptly as possible, -- From Authors * summary Industrial Medical Practice 8?1 Significance of Occupational History In Diagnosis of Silicosis. T.F. Hatch. Badlology, 50, 7$-750 (June, 1948) (BeprintlTavailable from the Foundation) The dusty trades may be divided into three categories in respect to silicosis: (1) known to produce silicosis as a characteristic disease of the occupation; (2) known to be free from the silicosis hazard; and (5) intermediate Industries in which silicosis occurs sporadically. The first two categories present no problem provided the hazard is properly assessed. In the third group, however, the detailed Information of the occupational history is of greatest importance, and the adequacy of our present etiologi cal criteria of greatest concern. There is danger in applying the general ized rules too far In the evaluation of dust exposures for the purpose of diagnosis of individual chest roentgenograms. Further laboratory research is needed to Improve our understanding of the etiology of silicosis. It is of even greater importance, however, that the Independent reading of chest roentgenograms be 'extended without dependence upon occupational histories. More systematic studies of the type described above are needed In a greater variety of dusty trades, involving exposure to more complex dusts and In cluding, in particular, occupations In which silicosis Is an occasional rather than a characteristic disease; others, in which non-disabling lung changes occur, such as in welders, also require systematic stujy. The sta tistical aspect of the problem must be kept In mind. A chest film which is non-specific when viewed alone takes on new meaning when it la found to be characteristic of a group of workers similarly exposed. Further confusion with respect to the silicosis hazard in Industry can be avoided only by the most critical study of the findings in the borderline dusty trades. The responsibility is a Joint one, shared by radiologists, clinicians, patholo gists, and industrial hygienistB, -- From Author's summary 'Tndustrlal Hygiene Digest - 27 August, 19^6 Laboratory ToxicologicSal Studies 888 Asbestos is and Pulmonary Tuberculosis. E. Desmeules, L. Bousseau, M, Giroux and A. Soiris. Sem. Hop. Paris, 22j 1820 ff. (19^7) (French) The authors report from Quebec on asbestos is in the Canadian mines and on animal experiments. They disagree vith Gardner's statements that pneu moconiosis due to asbestos is not an important factor in the production and progress of pulmonary tuberculosis, and that the presence of asbestos bodies in the sputum has no value in the diagnosis of asbestos is. Several cases of asbestosis are described; in one, death was due to tuberculosis and esbesto- sis, giving support although not proof for the authors' theory. Two cases of asbestosis with lung cancer are also described briefly. In animal experi ments by Giroux, lung lesions and asbestos bodies were produced in guinea pigs but not in rabbits or dogs. In these animaln the author traces the formation of asbestos bodies: fibers reaching the alveoli are rapidly covered by phagocytic cells, movement of the fibers results in microscopic bleeding from damaged alveolar walls; the hemoglobin from the liberated red cells is taken up by the phagocytes which already enclose the asbestos fibers. Sub cutaneous or intratesticular injections into guinea pigs of suspensions of asbestos in olive oil resulted in the production of granulomatous lesions but no asbestos bodies. When, however, the suspension was injected into an area into which 1 ml. of blood had been injected immediately before, as bestos bodies were found after a month. He considers that the presence of asbestos bodies In sputum has significance, since it implies tissue damage in the lungs. -- From Brit. J. Ind. Med. 889 The Efficacy of BAL (2.5-Dimercaptonropanol) in the Treatment of Experimental Lead Poisoning in Babbits. F.G. Germuth, Jr. and H. Eagle. J. Fharm. and Exper. Therap., 92*^97-^10 (Apr., 19^3) Under given sets of conditions treatment vith BAL was not effective in preventing death from lead poisoning in rabbits. Urinary lead excretion was markedly .increased -after the f-lrst -doses of -BAL, -but 'the magnitude of the excretion response diminished with additional treatments. Apparently only a small portion of the stared lead can be removed by this treatment. The im plications with respect to the possible use of BAL in the treatment of lead poisoning in man are discussed. 890 Acute Toxicity of Arsenate of Lead in Animals. J.L. Voigt, L.U. Edvards, and C.H. Johnson. J. Am. Pharm. Assoc., Sci. Ed., 2X, 122-125 (19**8) ' The acute toxicity of arsenate of lead in chickens, white rats, and rabbits was studied. The oral LD^q for a single dose was found to be approxi mately 450 mg. per kg. for chickens, 825 mg. per kg. for white rats, and 125 mg. per kg. for rabbits. The data included the red cell count arid change in weight in chickens after feeding 500 mg. per kg. of arsenate of lead. -- Chem. Absts.