Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-09-29

phorous Poisoning OF Matchmakers
Among Causes of New Point Raised
by Labor-New York Commission
investigates Conditions.
When the island of Manhattan be-
came too small for New York cit!
and the Brooklyn bridge challenged
the admiration of the world, attention
was drawn to Il new disease
Men who dig deep into river beds
to build the supports for great bridges
do their work in closed iron cylinders.
or caissons. into which compressed air
is forced to prevent water from run
ming in as dirt and gravel are car
Rcd out. This means the increase of
the ordinary atmospheric pressure by
three, four and even five times.
But all do better work under great
pressure. and the men working III caiS
sons are not exceptions. They perSpire
freely. and down at the bottom OF IL
closed tube. 100 feet below the surface
of the river. they work with more
than usual energy. The trouble comes
when they pass quickly from this caiS-
son into the normal atmosphere above.
Exposure Causes Pains.
When the men pass into the area
of compression the blood absorbs the
gases of the air until their tension in
the blood is equal to that in the com
pressed air. If n workman is taken
suddenly from this high pressure the
gas is liberated in the blood in the
form of nitrogen bubbles. This troth
ing of the blood when workmen pass
into the outer air sometimes causes
them to fall unconscious. Blood some
times runs from their eyes. ears and
noses. The victims feel i'm their mus
clcS and joints severe pains. which they
call ''bends." 1t is due to the peculi
arities of the employment. 1t is an
Occupationa disease.
Experiments show that when work
men are obliged to go into and come
ont of the caiSson through an interme-
diary chamber called an "air lock-" by
means Of which the pressure of the
confined air is slowly raised or low
cred. the DANGER Of disease is greatly
diminished. If the time limit for lock
ing" men through this air chamber is
carefully regulated much suffering is
prevented.
Legislation Regulates Work.
The Association For Labor Legisa-
ton has stimulated investigation of
this subject and New York state now
has Legislation for the careful regua-
tion of work in compressed air
Diseases owing to peculiar conditions
of employment may be grouped rough
~ into several principal classes. There
is Il long list of them occasioncd by
the breathing of impure air. second
group due mainly to extremes or rapid
variations in temperature. Il third class
due to humidity. fourth to overfa-
tigue. Conditions of temperature and
humidity. of purity of air and labor
strain. are often prescribed by the
cheapest process of manufacture.
Miners in the coal fields of West
phalia are restrained by law from
working more than six hours day in
a temperature above 81 degrees. In
few instances there is legislation de-
signed to protect weavers from the eff
fccts of excessive moisture. In sew
eral countries and states a minimum
standard of purity is established for
the air in certain trades. The problem
Of OverfatiCue however, is the most
complicated Of all. 1t is SO frequently
involved with other special problems
that no scientific study can be made Of
it without requiring a general study of
industrial diseases and factory n.y.
giene.
Then there are diseases due to indus
trial poiSons. The International ASso-
citation For Labor Legislation asked
the Swiss federal council to take the
initiative in calling an international
conference to forbid by agreement the
use of white phosphorus in the manu-
facture of matches. Nine countries
have signed the treaty prohibiting its
use.
Lead Poisoning Dangerous.
The problem Of fixing standards is
ments where no satisfactory substi-
tutes for industrial poisons have been
found. This is notably true with re-
spect to workers in lead. In 1909
thirtythrce deaths were reported in
New York alone as due to lead poison
ing. But the number of deaths re-
ported is no sufficient criterion for
judgment concerning the seriousness
of an occupational disease. Chronic
poisoning. which lowers vitality and
causes untold suffering. is much more
serious.
At time when compensation for in
jures received in employments is the
most pressing problem for labor legs-
lation the question of occupational