Evening star., 1914-02-23
OCCUPAIIONAL DISEASES
III.-In Mineral Dust Trades.
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.

IU 0y Frederic j. 11dSklU. Ill
In the group of occupations exposing
the workers to a considerable and con-
tinuous inhalation of mineral dust re-
sulting from industrial processes are in
ciuded the following for the purpose Of
broad but brief survey: Stoneworkers
marble workers. diamond cutters. potters.
cement workers, plasterers. paperhang-
ers. nolders and l:thographers.
Frederick L. Hoffman. one of the United
States government authorities on occu-
pational diseases. began gathering data
for the bureau of labor statistics as far
back as 1905. He found that all of these
mineral dus occupations are more or less
subject to an excessive death rate from
all causes. but in particular to a decided
excess in the proportionate mortality
from consumption and = most cases also
to comparatively high degree Of fire.
quency in the incidence of respiratory
diseases. The details of labor conditions
as they were gathered by the government
expert appear fully to confirm the general
opinion that the degree of excess of con-
sumption frequently is intimately related
gree of exposure to inhalation of large
quantities OF mineral dust day after day
for months or years.
There are about 10000 stoneworkers in
the United States. and theirs is one Of the
most dangerous in the category of trades.
For centuries this occupation has been re-
garded as bugbear Of good health Long
before physicians glimpsed the impor-
tance Of their responsibility as keepers
of their brothers bodies they observed
how stone and marble cutters were prone
to affections of the lungs. When the sci
ent;fic study of occupational diseases was
a thing of the future public men were
sensible to the fate of these artisans.
Over two hundred years ago Ramazzini.
the great pioneer in this study Of the
ills that beset the toiling masses. who
stood practically alone in his time. no.
ticed that S@oneworkers sucked in small
particles of stone, and stated that "our
medical histories give many instances Of
stones found in the stomach and lungs
of these workmen. for which we can as
sign no other material cause but the
dusty particles taken in at the mouth and
gradually gathered into heap"
Stone cutting and quarrying is essen
TALLY dusty trade, in spite Of the efforts
that have been
Granite Dust made, and are
Highly Injurious. made ss at the pres pres.
ent time, to employ wet or semi-wet
processes. Granite dust Is held to be
more injurious tnan marble dust, and
soapstone is supposed to be the least
harmful of all. The use of pneumatic
tools in cutting, surfacing and carving
brings forth clouds of fine dust. Smooth
ing is another process that cannot be
done with water because the paste thus
formed would interfere with the tools.
masks, for some reason or other, al
though glasses over the eyes and wire
covering over the hammers are some
times used as protection against bits of
stone or pieces from the steel tools that
are constantly flying off.
How injurious is this work can be
judged by the fact that the mortality
among these workers. out of doors as
they generally are, is higher than that of
clerks. bankers. brokers and others who
pursue sedentary. indoor tasks. Statis-
tics show that A. per cent die of con-
sumption. As well as can be ascertained,
the average age Of death Is forty-eight
years, but it must be remembered that
large percentage who are injured or
weakened, although they began with the
strength and health required by such
work. drift into lighter employments.
Thus at death they are not classified as
stone workers. In spite Of the fact that
theis' taking OF at comparatively early
Marble workers are often included In
stone trades in the mass for statistical
purposes. but their product Is so dis
tinctive that they should be considered
by themselves. In Switzerland, in Italy,
in Paris and in this country the death
rate among them is above the average,
and consumption is the main cause. In
the first named country Bertillon found
that under twenty years of age consump-
ton mortality among marble workers
was below the average, from thirty to
thirty-nine double the average. from
forty to forty-nine triple, and from fifty
to fifty mine four times as great as the
average of the whole Swiss nation. Yer
mont produces 60 per cent of the marble
used in the United States. and the state
statement that in a period of six years
of forty-two deaths from all causes five
were from consumption and five from
other respiratory diseases. In other
words, 25 per cent of Vermont's marble
workers succumb to pulmonary affec-
tons. What is true of Vermont, despite
its unusually healthful climate. produc-
ing as it does two-thirds of the nations
marble. doubtless applies with equal
force to this class Of artisans in all other
dustr.al insurance mortality statistics
of marble cutters prove that % per cent
die of consumption.
There are no vital statistics over here
in regard to diamond cutters and polish
ers. but Hirt and
Diamoud Cutters others have re-
-, ported on meth
Are Short-Eved. ods and condi-
tions abroad. particularly In Amsterdam.
the chief center of the industry, and
what prevails there applies here where