Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-06-10
Miners. Consumption.

The necessity for a scientific aud
thorough inspection OF mining mctht
ods, 50 far MS ventilation Is concerned,
is forced upon attention by the alarm.
ing prevalence Of miners consumption.
IL is disease Of modern origin. and j.
believed to be due 10 inhaliug poison.
ous gases, arising from the use and
combustion OF high explosives, in
which nitroglycerin is the powerful
constituent. Nitroglycerin was dis
covered in 1916, and has come into
use in mining only within the past %
years. Before then only black pow
der was used. 81 far as we can learn
from study Of mining records or
medical accounts. the disease known
as miners consumption WAS unknown
until very lately. IL is for this very
reason that II is supposed to be due 10
the gases arising from the use OF nitro
giycerin. To determine the truth OF
the claim would require widely ex-
tended and well-directed investigation
by physicians whose practice is in
mining regions. Work Of this kind
would certainly be cheerfully done by
physicians, if there was some depart
ment of the State or Government
which would intelligently inaugurate
il.
II IL were once determined that il is
due To these gases, then the problem
OF better mine ventilation, and the way
To secure il, so that the disease may NO
longer murder lis hundreds of victims,
will be new one for the State and
mine managers To consider.
The disease is one which is closely
allied Ia ordinary consumption, and
appears to he impossible of cure. 10
far az We know, and so far as We can
learn from inquiry, it never attacks
any but veteran miners, who are natur-
ally those who have been most and
/ longest exposed to the influences sup.
posed To produce il. Many one we
all know, from Gilpin, Clear Greek and
Boulder counties have gone down 10
death with 1t. II j., too. most deadly
ON the Comstock. Dan DcQuillo
writes us that "almost every week from
one to three are borne to the grave OH
/ the Comstock with the disease and at
/ the same time reports OF the death ut
others are constantly being received
from other regions of the Pacific coast
to which they have strayed after being
inoculatcd with the seeds OF the deadly
/ disease.
"A,i who develop the disease die
sooner or later, even though they
leave off mining in any region and
take up their residence in tile most
favored sections Of the valleys OF Cal
ifornia The fell disease goes with
these veteran miners To Mexico ana
Peru, to South Africa, Australia ano
China, and lays many Of them IL
foreign graves. Some manage TO get
back 10 their families alive, but j, i
only Ia bid them an entcrnai farewell
close their eyes aud die.
"All these men who are dead aut
dying entered the mines young, strong
aud the very picture OF rohus. health
Had they gone TO work at farming
lun. bering in the mountains or stock
growing on the plains, instead of goius
into the smoky depths OF the mines
most il not al Of them would nov
still Toe bale aud strong. II is sad 1,
see these men, mere wasted skeletons
stretched upon their beds and dying
amid whole household of youni
children, just AT AN age when the
should be a. the PRIME OF life ant
strength Death stalks through til,
dark chambers oi the mines in thou
! sand shapes Generally his blows ar
/ sudden and terrible More pitiahlt
however, seems the living death Of th
doomed man lingering down to til
tomb in the neyer-relaAcd clutch ,
miners consumption.
II the State has any duty To perform
. in the way OF doing anything 10
miners, would il not be- " Il To pu
that work into shape, and at least giF
ms an investigation OF this subject
together with others relating tu th
: great industry which is so closely ri
lated TO the health. life aud materia
, prosperity Of each aud every citizen
VIII our legislature do anything il
minprss-Mning Industry
=