Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-11-13
Lead Poisoning
In The POttdi6s


The growing number Of victims 10
the dreaded potters' scours s-lead
poisonins should most certainly
arouse the most serious internat!ona..
concern. Unfortunately this disease
has not received that attention which
same urgently calls for, as. With the
exception Of Great Britain there are
but ecant statistics Forthcoming. This
renders an effdcacious international
comparison between the regulations
and conditions existing in the differ
emit countries impossible. New regula-
tons were issued by the Home Office
In Great Britain In January of the
present year. These regulations are
immensely compile xand besides deal
ing with lead, contain certain rules
to prevent women and young persons
from being overstrained either by car
rying heavy weights, or by whee1turn-
Ing, lathe-treading, etc. The regu1a-
tons only apply to potteries wnere
lead glaze is used. Exemptions from
certain of the general regulations are
allowed In leadless glaze factories, de
fined as those where the glaze used
does not contain more than per cent
lead. In Austria, there are no special
regulations, but the industrl .
provides vaguely that the employers
shall maintain all arrangements fol-
the health Of the WORKERS The same
may be said with regard to Belgium.
In France, a decree OF May 10, 1913
prohibits the employment OF young
nersons under Is in chromo-litho
yraphy in ceramic works. There. are
goaa e specific regulations Of April %,
taHS which contain pnovis ems respect
ing the manipulation of oxides and
other compounds of lead, prohibits
the dipping" OF pottery with bare
hands, and requires employers to pro-
vide and maintain, at their own ex-
pense, overa1ls, glaoves and respira-
tors for the workers. A further de
cree of December 2Sth, 1909, requires
employers to appoint and pay a medi
cal man to carry out periodical exami;
nations of persons employed in lead
processes. But even this is NOT O.
ried out very efficiently, Tor one IN
spector reports that of ten potterles in
his district (Dijon) only three had
: letl tIr~IG -.ea1tA register n, Isl.
In Germany there are NO special regu
lations affecting the ceramic industry.
man potteries is uncertain. as there is
tAo.a. notification OF industrial
disease. In Holland there are nc
regulations affording protection to
male workers over Is years of age.
lead poisoning was made compulsor-
lily notifable in 1911, and it is yet too
early for the results to be useful for
comparison. In June of this year
however, it was reported that there
were "a cases Of lead poisoning in
1912, and 81 cases from January to
May, 1913. Medical examination is
desirable but why wait till the disease
has set In? Clearly, then, there is-only
one course open for those who wish to
see the horrible raHages of lead-pois-
oning banished from the pottery indus
try, and that is the promotion of an
international treaty prohibiting the
use OF lead in the making of pottery.
A. similar treaty prohibiting the use
OF white phosphorus in the making OF
matches has been actually adopted
and adhered to by practically every
european country. so we have cause
or hope that a treaty prohibiting the
use Of the deadly lead may soon be
an accomplished tact.