Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-09-29

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 city
and the Brooklyn bridge challenged
the admiration of the world. attention
was drawn to 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 10 prevent water from run
ming in as dirt and gravel are car
ried 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 In Gals
sons are not exceptions. They perspire
freely, and down at the bottom of a
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 Gals
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 workman is taken
suddenly from this high pressure the
gas Is liberated In the blood in the
form of nitrogen bubbles. This froth-
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 in their mus
Giles and joints severe pains. which they
call bends 1t is due to the peculi-
arities of the employment. 1t is an
occupa tional disease.
Experiments show that when work.
men are obliged to go into and come
out 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 clock
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-
ton Of work in compressed air.
Diseases owing to peculiar conditions
of employment may be grouped rough
ly into several principal classes. There
is a long list Of them occasioned by
the breathing of impure air. n second
group due mainly TO extremes or rapid
variations in temperature, third class
due to humidity, o 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 a day in
a temperature above "a degrees. In a
few instances there is legislation de-
signed to protect weavers from the ef-
fects of excessive moisture. In sew
eral countries and states minimum
standard Of purity is established for
the air in certain trades. The problem
of overfatigue, however, is the most
Of all. 1t Is so frequently
involved with other special problems
that no scientific study can be made of
1t without requiring a general study Of
Industrial diseases and factory hy-
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
to forbid by agreement the
use Of white phosphorus in the manu-
facture of matches. Nine countries
have signed the treaty prohibiting it's
use.
Lead Poisoning Dangerous.
The problem Of fixing standards is
much more difficult in those employ
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
thlrty-three 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 a time when compensation for in
juries received in employments is the
most pressing problem for labor legis-
lation. the question Of occupational