The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-26

laborers at the end of three months
employment in order to prevent the
more serious forms of plumbism. This
very shifting increases lead poisoning
for the casual laborer is ignorant of the
precautions necessary.
Cases Of lead poisoning have been
found in some thirty different in
dustries, though they are more com
mon in lead smelling, the making of
white lead, litho-t transfer work, dry
color work, and the making of storage
batteries. The painting trade yields
the largest number of victims. This
is because it is numerically the larg-
est Of the lead trades for there is not
as much acute lead poisoning in pro-
portion to the workers as in the other
industries mentioned. Painters tell us
that man rarely develops symptoms
under five years exposure, while one
worker on storage batteries was vio-
lently i'll at the end Of ten days. Ac-
cording to physicians many men are
taken with serious symptoms after six
weeks exposure in lead smelling or
white lead works.
Lead poisoning In extreme cases
leads to paralysis, insanity or death.
often when the victim had apparently
entirely recovered from the initial at
tack. After a period in which the pat
lent has had a poor appetite a gen
eral feeling of i'll health, foul breath.
bad taste In the mouth, and OBJ
stinate constipation, the attack itself,
consisting Of paroxysms of agonizing
colo, with vomiting and constipation
follows. This is accompanied by great
restlessness, but no fever If the man
goes back to his work after recover
ing he has repeated attacks. He is
extremely ale, suffers from constipa-
ton, from equity or rheumatic pains.
and swelling Of the joints. The nerv-
Gus system becomes affected and he
develops partial paralysis Of the
wrists, shoulders or ankles.
Women are especially susceptible to
lead poisoning. This poisoning is
slowly cumulative for minute does OF
10 of a grain a day produce the
symptoms. The poison is absorbed
by swallowing the dust gaining en-
trance to the mouth by inhalation or
from unwashed hands, but the fumes
Of heated lead are also DANGEROUS.
Good ventilation and cleanliness of
the person and premises are the best
preventives.'
There are great differences in fac
tories doing the same kind of work.
There are two white lead factories
controlled by the same company: one
is delapidated, dirty, Differentiated.
looking as If little Improvement had
been made since 1S43 when 1t was
built. The work Is done largely by
hand, the product is handled most
carelessly, and there is an apparent
indifference toward the workmen on
the part of the management. The
other is modern, clean, well ventilated.
furnished with machinery, wherever ii
is possible. There are good sanitary
provisions for the men and their well
fare is a matter Of real interest to
the management Almost as great a
contrast exists between two lead
smelling places, operated by the same
company. This means that the care
of the men depends upon the good will
of the executive in charge,
The general tendency in the lead
trades is toward Improvement in
working conditions, not on humani-
TARTAN but on economic grounds. The
Scotch Hearths with their poisonous
fumes are being replaced by far safer
smelling processes employing fewer
men. The white lead and dry color
houses are using more machinery and
saving their dust. There is also I'm
creased use of machinery in the lead
pipe and sheet lead trades. The lftho
transfer work is being done by dust
less methods and not by hand. The
painters and the storage battery
workers, however, have not SO far
been helped by improvements in their
trades.
The improvements are on surer
basis when they come in response I'd
the demand for economic management
and from recognition OF the value 81
experienced unskilled labor which
makes eployers anxious to keep d
steady force OF workmen than il they
were made In answer to the demands
of philanthropy. The regular medical
inspection Of the men is very rare
though required BY law In most coun-
tries abroad,
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