The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-07-06
WOULD MAKE LIFE
OF WORKERS SAFE
Legislation in Various Countries
to Prevent Unnecessary In
dustrial Diseases.
Some of the Dangers Employees
Are Subject to Have Already
Been Eliminated.
Psychic Epilepsy of the Locomotive
Engineer Latest Occupational
Ailment.

That psychic epilepsy may be a
Gently been pointed out by DIR. Irving
Spear Of Baltimore. the surgeon in
charge Of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad hospital in that city. Psy-
chic epilepsy is a disease which sone-
times makes locomotive engineers tenn
porarily oblivious of their surround-
ings and it may thus endanger their
lives and the lives of others. DIR.
Spears purpose was to warn the rail-
road authorities Of the country of this
source Of danger
Psychic epilepsy is probably the
latest of the many occupational dis
enses which the compleXity Of mod
ern civilization has been for some
time steadily developing. So numer-
GUS have these diseases become that
they have attracted the attention of
medical men throughout the world.
Not only have medical men become
Interested. but labor and health bu-
leau officials, sanitary inspectors, spe-
cal Investigators of labor problems
and Representatives of labor organ
izations are all working on the SUBJ
ject
Not long ago the State of New York
passed n law requiring physicians to
report all cases of industrial poison
ing from lead, phosphorus or mercury
and all cases of compressed air ILL
ness which comes within their prac-
tice. Henceforth 1900 physicians.
hospitals and dispensaries in New
York State will be required to report
all cases of occupational diseases
which they are called upon to treat.
About thirty states have laws in
tended to protect workers from dust,
unsanitary conditions and impure or
poisonous air Unfortunately the ma
jority of these laws are too poorly
wordcd to be altogether effective and
too carelessly enforced to afford ade-
quate protection. Much, however.
mas pCSII
National prohibition of the use Of
poisonous substance in manufac-
turing occurred in this country for the
first time this year. when Congress
passed law which forbids the use
Of poisonous phosphorus in the maxi
ing Of matches. This. it is believed,
will abolish the match workers dis
case known as phossy jaw. This dis
case is caused by the fumes and
floating particles of phosphorus which
attack the bones Of the workers and
come brittle, the teeth drop out, the
jawbones decay. with the result. un-
less the disease is arrested, of the
loss of one or both jaws or not in
frequently death.
Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Switzerland. France,
Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Austria,
Hungary and Sweden realizing the
danger of this disease seven years ago
took action similar to that which has
recently been taken by Congress.
France has entirely forbidden after
July 20. 1914, the use of white lead
in any house painting process, either
on the outside or the inside Of build
ings, thus doing away with white lead
poisoning, disease from which paint-
ers suffer.
Belgium prohibits the use Of white
lead in dry form and prohibits the
scraping off of lead paint by dry
process. The sale Of white lead in the
form of powder or cakes, except to
specially authorized persons is also
forbidden. 1t is hoped that laws along
similar lines will shortly be passed in
this country.
illinois to tho Fore.
Illinois is one Of the states prom
inently to the fore In the movement
to guard the health and safety Of anu
ployes. In Illinois employees engaged
in processes involving the use Of GER
tain poisonous substances. such ias
lead and paris green, are protected
by special precautions, while manu-
facturers Of brass or smelters Of lead
must provide proper working clothes
i y . h !.