Omaha daily bee., 1912-08-05
LEAD POISONING COMMON
Governmental Efforts to Protect
Workmen Have Failed.
WHAT EXPERIENCE HAS PROVED
Diseases shows a Growing Ap-
probation of Serious Phase
of Situation.

the national and state governments Il
protect workmen from preyentable dis.
eases of industry is strikingly brought
out in a report just issued of the second
national conference on industrial diseases
II is shown that In three years the Hi.
nOis commission found 578 cases Of lead
poisoning In that state and that hasty
and incomplete study disclosed 12l cases
Of this one disease of occupation In New
York City alone. Many of these were
due to the absence of regulations requir-
Ing the use of simple protective devices
and practices which. 1t is pointed out.
are in general use in Germany and Eng
land under legislation providing for the
payment Of insurance benefits In the case
Of sickness directly due to industry.
Demand for Action.
| A growing appreciation, however, of
the need of regulating the conditions
among which the 3O,00O,000 wage earners
of this country carry on their work is
shown from the recent prohibition by
congress Of the manufacture or sale of
"phossy jaw" matches and from the en-
actment in eight states during the last
year of the bill prepared by the Asso-
citation for Labor Legislation requiring the
compulsory reporting Of certain Of the
more evident industrial diseases. The
report, which is profusely illustrated, is
divided into four parts. Diseases of
occupation are treated In papers read
before the American Medical association,
this year for the first time giving place
on its annual program to the industrial
disease problem. DR.. W. Gilman Thomp-
son presents plan for the classification
of the occupational diseases; compressed
air Illness, or ''caisson disease is dis
cussed by DR.. Frederick L. Keays from a
study of 3.692 cases under his observation
during the construction Of the Pennsyl-
vania East river tunnels, and DR.. l.. NJ.
Ryan, physician to the Foundation COM
pany. deals with the same disease and
the preventive methods to be adopted in
casson work. Occupational skin diseases,
nervous and mental diseases, diseases of
the eye, and industrial poisons are COW
cred by such well known authorities as
DR.. John A. Fordyce, DR.. Charles A.
Dana, Dr., Elice M. Alger and David l..
Edsall. whose testimony refutes the con-
tention that national ingenuity and in
ventiveness have lessened industrial dis
ease here and have made less needful the
rigid legal control exercised in other
countries.
Lead Poisoning in New York.
Reports of lead poisoning In New York
City and Of the examination of 1,41S work.
ers In cellar bakeries and tailor shops are
included In section dealing with investi-
cations. DR.. Richard c. Cabot of Boston
pleads for more work by hospitals and
clinics in the prevention Of Industrial dis
eases and Prof. C. e. A. Winslow con.
tributes much-discussed paper on tenn
perature and humidity In factories. Prof.
Baskerville proposes the use of certain
preventive agencies for workmen ex-
posed to dusts, fumes and gases. y, &
II industrial disease Is TO be adequately
handled in this country, information mus.
be had as to the extent of these diseases
and as to the particular occupations TN
which they occur, points out Dn Cressy
l.. Wilbur, chief statistician Of the United
States census bureau. A proper nom-
enclature of occupations Is the first
requisite and this DR.. Wilbur announces,
is being prepared by the American Medi-
cal association.
| Common i'm Illinois.
The medical inspection OF factories in
Illinois Is shown to have resulted In the
reporting Of 247 cases of industrial dis
ease from thirtv-nna mn INFO oturinr ao
Establishments during the first eight
months Of the laws operation. One plant
is cited which had seventy-three cases
of lead poisoning last August due to dry
sand panering of lead paint With the
use of simple respirator for the pro-
lection of these workers as recommended
by the department, the hazard of this
occupation has been so far reduced that
there has not been single case of lead
poisoning In that particular establish
ment In the last four months DR..
Leonard W. Hatch, statistician OF the
New York department of labor, who has
had charge of the registration of ir4us.
trial diseases in New York state, EN-.
phaslzes the need for educating physi.
clans as to the intent and scope Of regis
tration laws and testifies to the crafty
ing results obtained from the first few
months operation of the act.
The report, which is issued by the
American Association for Labor Legisla
tion. closes with a photography com
piled in cooperation with the library o.
congress and the United States bureau o.
labor, containing. in addition to more
important foreign works, over 600 Amer
| ipop ATLAS