The Washington herald., 1911-12-17
Painters Head the List
of Lead Poison Victims
Reforms Inaugurated by Bureau of Labor to
Lessen Fatalities Among Indus
trial Workers.

these factories numbers about 1900 men,
although a far larger number, perhaps
even five times as many pass in and
out Of the whitehead industry in the
course Of a year. These cases of poison
ing much understate the actual facts.
Lack of Legislative Control.
American factories are often large and
finely constructed. The lack of Iegis-
the survival of old overcrowded, out
grown factories, in which there may be
hardly single place in which it is safe
to work. OF the twenty-five white lead
factories which were personally inspected
nine were of modern construction, with
machinery displacing hand labor to
large extent, three were older and not
so well equipped, and ten were old, with
handwork chiefly. It win not however
be fair to assume that the newest plants
the safest or that the old are necessar-
lily dangerous, for the hygiene of a fac
tory really depends quite as much upon
attention to cleanliness and the avoid
ance of dust as upon the construction.
In connection with the study of white
lead factories, inspection was made Of the
department engaged in the manufacture
OF lead oxide in eight of the whitehead
factories and of one factory where OK
ldes alone were made. The dangers in
lead-oxide factories are quite similar to
those in whitehead factories and the
need and the disregard of preventive
measures were found to be just as con-
spicuOus.
Deaths in New York.
While many cases of lead poisoning oc-
cur among American workers in white
and red lead, these are by no means the
OrlNT Ind ~
OF Industrial lead poisoning exists. A
study by John B. Andrews, Phi. D., Of
the deaths in 1909 and 1910 from Industrial
lead poisoning in New York State dis
closed sixty cases among the formal NOR
tality returns of attending physicians
This number includes only those cases
reported as industrial lead poisoning and
takes no account of the cases, certainly
quite numerous, where lead poisoning
does not appear as the immediate, re-
corded cause Of death, although without
doubt often the determining cause
These sixty deaths, all recorded as due
to lead poisoning arising out OF the occu-
patton, were distributed as follows:
Painters, 81; laborers, s; printers. 4: mer-
chants, ?, and one each from machinists,
molders, smeiters, tinsmiths salesmen
brush drawers, GLACIERS, porters, and
"ooPers. OF the sixty persons. u or -
per cent worked with wet paint, three
worked in A lead smelter four in print
ing establishments, three in white lead
factories, two in a storage battery plant,
one in TIN shop, one in a rubber fac
tory, and one in a lead pipe factory
No information is available to show the
number of cases of sickness and the
deaths resulting from lead poisoning in
the United States. or in any State, for
heretofore there has been no legal re-
quirement as to the making of reports
However, during the legislative sessions
of the present year, laws have been
enacted in six States recurring reports
by physicians of all cases OF occupational
diseases occurring in their practice. These
are California, Connecticut, Illinois,
Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin.
Bills have also been introduced in other
States, and. after their enactment. an ac-
curate basis will be available for the
study of oCcupational diseases and the
betterment of occupational conditions.