The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-04-15
WOULD ADD YEARS
TO WORKERS. LIVES.
Experts Declare Elimination Of
Dust Would Save Many
From Consumption.

The Mortality from Consumption
In Dusty Trades" is the subject of an
article by Frederick l.. Hoffman. in
Bulletin No. 20 of the bureau of
labor. department of commerce and
labor The writer discusses the pro-
cess and working conditions in oe-
equations where, because of dust. the
employment is injurious to health
and leads 10 the development of con-
sumption in particular. Much valu-
able material from official sources and
from insurance mortality experience
is presented. showing the excessive
mortality in dusty occupations.
Forty-two occupations are consider
ed, divided into groups according as
they are subject to exposure to met
allie dust. mineral dust, vegetable
fibre dust. or animal and mixed fibre
dust.
OF the deaths from all causes
among males II years of age and
over in the registration area of the
United States. 14S per cent. were
from consumption. According to in
dustrial insurance experience the cor
responding proportions were 36.9 per
cent. for occupations exposed to met
allie dust, 2S.6 per cent. for those ex-
posed to mineral dust. 24S per cent.
for those exposed to vegetable fibre
'dust, and 32.1 per cent. for those ex-
posed to animal and mixed fibre dust.
I The occupation showing the highest
consumption mortality was grinders,
among whom 492 per cent. of all
deaths were from consumption
CRITICAL AGE FROM % TO 81.
In each occupation group the high
est consumption mortality was
among persons from % to 81 years
of age, the proportion of deaths from
consumption for that age group being
| 57.2 per cent. in occupations exposed
to metallic dust, AS per cent. in
those exposed TO mineral dust. 53.9
per cent. in those exposed TO vege-
table fibre dust. and 1913 per cent in
those exposed TO animal and mixed
/ fibre dust. as compared with 31.3 per
cent for all males in the registration
area
In Connection with the industrial in
surance mortality experience. ocupa-
/ tional mortality statistics are present
ed from the reports of the United
| States census, British official reports
and the occupation mortality statistics
of Rhode Island. which furnish addi-
tional evidence of the health in
furious effects of exposure in the oc-
equations considered. These in
furious effects are reflected in the
comparatively small portion of per-
sons of advanced years, higher gen.
eral death rate. and very high specific
death rates from consumption and
other respiratory diseases.
II is the opinion of the author that
by intelligent methods of ventilation
and dust removal the consumption
death rate among wage earners can
be reduced from % per 1000. the
rate based on the number of deaths
among gainfully employed persons 10
years of age and over in the registra-
ton states in 1900 TO 1.5 per 1000,
the average rate for 200 small cities,
as shown in the mortality statistics of
the United States census for 1901 TO
] 1905.
FIFTEEN YEARS MORE OF LIFE.
Such a reduction, the author esti-
mates, would result in an annual saw
! ing of 22,23S human lives and would
, add 15.4 years of life for every death
j from consumption avoided by
rational conditions of industrial life.
Such a gain would represent a total
of 342,465 years of additional life
time, and by so much the industrial
efficiency of the American nation
would be increased. Placing the
economic value of a years lifetime at
only 5000. the total average econo-
mic gain to the nation would be
$30S0 for every avoidable death of
wage Garner from consumption, rep
resenting the enormous total of $685.
F, 1913, 900 as the aggregate annual
financial value of adult human life.
With such results clearly within the
range of practical attainment, moth
ing within reason should be left I'M
done as national, state and in
dividual or social duty TO prevent
that needless, but now enormous loss
of human life from consumption due
to the unfavOrable conditions in