Evening times-Republican., 1911-06-29
BUREAU OF LABOR PUBLISHES
REPORT ON occUPArIoNAL
DISEASES.
LEAD POISONING CHIEF
AlLMENT OF WoRkINGMEN
Death Rate From This Cause Alarming
When Facts Arc known-Foreisners
and Men Ignorant Of Dangers Ae-
cept Positions-Manufactu Econ
Especial Correspondence.

Washington, Juno 29-PuDllcatlOn
by the bureau Of labor of a summary
Of the report of the Illinois commission
on occupational diseases sheds new
and interesting light on the diseases
TO which persons employed in various
trades and occupations are exposed.
Industrial lead poisoning is one OF
the chief Of the occupational diseases.
according to the report. An elaborate
study thereof has been made by Dr.
Alice Hamilton. Eighteen different in
dustries or trades involving this dam
ger she finds, are carried on the state
OF Illinois. The degree of danger in
volved varies widely. Smelling and re-
fning lead, the painting trades and the
manufacture of storage batteries are
the most widely harmful. The danger
is present in two forms-that OF IN
haling particles Of the metal in the
shape of metallic dust or fumes ana
that OF swallowing them with food and
drink The road to comparative safety
lies along the lines Of prevention or
diminution of dust or fumes in the
workers atmosphere by the use OF
hoods, exhausts and similar devices.
the provision Of clean, we'll ventilated
work places. the substitution Of wet
for dry processes when practicable,
with free use Of water to keep down
dust and enforcement of strict rules as
to personal hygiene.
Reserve Material But Not Life.
DR.. Hamilton says that machinery Is
steadily 6isplacing hand workmen ana
the growing demand for the metal is
waste involved in the escape of dust
and fumes While there has been i'm
provement In some respects. in regard
to the personal care and instruction Of
the workers little or nothing is being
done Some of the industries, like
smelling and the manufacture of white
lead. have gained such a bad name
among workmen that the better class
Will scarcely enter them. AS a conse-
quence those employed in such work
are. according to the report. mainly
the poorest and most ignorant foreign
ers or negroes. The report says they
have either no knowledge that the
danger exists or else have only
vague fear, with no idea where the
risk lies or how it can be met
Lead Poisoning Widespread.
Indication Of the havoc wrought by
this one disease alone may be Judged
from the statement in the report that
SIS cases Of lead poisoning occurred in
1908. 1909, and 1910. That is, that
number were found. Twelve Of these
resulted in permanent disability. eight
involved ten porary or partial paraly-
sis and eighteen resulted in death.
One hundred and sixteen men reporting
on the point showed n loss OF working
time from lead poisoning amounting to
S5 years, and 1o2 men reporting on
wages lost showed an aggregate OF
500 $40. Where the burden OF this loss
fell Is more than indicated. 1t is en-
phasized, by the fact that Of the 57s
workmen affected only three had re-
ceived any compensation from their
employers Beyond this. the workmen
and their families bore the cost OF ILL
ness arising from trade conditions, un-
less some OF it was borne by the COM
nunity in the form OF philanthrophio
relief.
Not Informed Of Danger.
From the legal side, the study throws
light on the responsibility OF the
workmen and their assumption OF the
risks Of the employment. Many OF
the dangerous conditions. such as the
prevalence OF the dust and fumes, are
absolutely beyond the control OF the
workmen Either they must stay out
Of the occupation altogether or they
must accept such degree Of danger as
the employer does not guard them
against Some OF the employers are
voluntarily taking the necessary pre-
cautions but others neglect them alto
gether.
It appears, for instance. that in
some of the establishments. ignorant
foreigners are set to work without any
instructions as to the danger they are
running.
Many Avoeations Dangerous.
The report treats, too, of the dangers
in brass working. zinc smelling, in tho
steel Industry. in the painters and
varnishers' trade. from caisson disease.
from various noise producing indus
tries from photography, silvering mir
rors, etching glass, and number OF
other occupations.
In the steel industry, 1t is found
large numbers Of men are poisoned by
carbon monoxide In the investigation
into poisoning from this source, the In
quiry was hampered by the fact that
70 per cent of the men examined used
alcoholics to excess. 1t was difficult
to tell how much Of their depressed
condition was due to carbon monoxide
poisoning and how much to alcoholics.
Grave as are the conditions exposed,
the commission by no means complet-
ed its task 1t proposes laws to regu-
late the dangerous trades. At the same
time, 1t recommends that the investi-
cation be continued by the same or
another commission having more time
and larger funds at It's disposal.
Your Neighbor's Experience.