The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-13
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
 X IEDICAL inspection of engineering MI work and other forms of mechan- ical industry has brought the art of preventive medicine into great prom thence. Problems of tropical sanitation in the canal region of Panama, and or semi-t tropical conditions in the military camps on the Mexican border.
 In building the St. Louis bridge, prior to the application of preventive medicine, of the GOO men employed there were 1l9 cases of illness occasioned by the nature of the work, with IA deaths The percent age of fataliay during the construction of the first Hudson tunnel. before the use of the medical lock-" was alarmingly great, being F deaths when only 50 men were employed. During the civil war in this country more men were slasn through disease resulting from improper food and insanftary surroundings, than through actual bIoodshed-to say nothing of deaths resulting from the slightest wounds, tho mere scratch of pin, be- cause of an impoverished condition of the blood.
 A very different story is now told where precautionary measures are taken and the preventive art applied In the East river tunnel at New York 330 men were cm- ployed for 36 days, with no fatalities among seasoned workers. In this case' besides employing the exercise or walking as an aid, the new method called stage decompression' was used. Among what
 
 induced by compressed air has long been recognized, but the increasing call Tor work which requires the steady use or high air pressure has brought the ail- ment into great prominence. The Brit- ish experts call 1t the "caisson disease, and the admiralty officials, who nave studied it's peculiarities, make the fol- lowing report, as quoted in the current number of the Journal of the American Medical associations: First, that 1t Is the nitrogen of atmospheric air alone that plays an important part In the production of the disease; second, that increased ex- posture to high pressure gives added risk up to about five hours for the laborers, at which time saturation of the body With nitrogen is practically complete; third, that 1t is rare, if ever, that symptoms of caisson disease occur under an excess of pressure of 1.25 atmospheres, however long the exposure; and fourth. that death is due nearly always either to pulmonary gas embolism, or to blockage of vessels in the spinal cord by gas It appears that the excess of gas in the tissues Of the body does injury solely by its sudden increase in volume in the removal or pressure. It also appears that the booy of a healthy laborer can support a, sudden decrease in pressure of from 2.25 times normal to normal On these grounds It is safe to decompress from any stage whatever by successive reductions of one half at a time, and yet keep the Voiuihe of liberated gas within prudent limits. II will be observed that this treatment so highly recommended is new departure for the uniform practice has hitherto been that of slow but regular rate of re- duction. Decompression of the new rype is not at a uniform rate, but accomplished bv stages hence 1t is termed the stage" method.
 Further the critics believe no new ieg- islationNi is needed to deal with the stu , ation, the common law principle of hold Ing contractors and corporations responsi- ble for preventable injury to employees being sufficient Where in telligent self interest Is involved, the matter may usu- ally be left to take care of itself. | In this cQnpection 1t is worth while to note the prompt response of the medical arm of the service when our troops were ordered to the Mexican border. and the art of preventive medicine as practiced by the hospital corps after It's arrival upon the field. The hospital detachment located at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis. arrived at the point of the rendez- ! vous as quickly as the troops themselves. and immediately upon their arrival began the application of precautionary meas ures. The care of the camp in point ot