The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-28
The Wood Alcohol Menace.

That the drinking OF wood alcohol
is dangerous to life and especially fatal
to the sight has been sufficiently dwelt
upon. But that Inhalation Of wood
alcolol even In small quantities is
equally dangerous to millions Of toilers
demands publicity and heed by the lat.
ter and their employers
The experimental researches Of DR..
TYSON and Or. ScHoENBkRG Of New
York, published in the Journal OF the
American Medical Association, demon
strate that the Inhalation Of wood al.
cohol, TO which thousands OF working
people are daily exposed, presents ii
amentable menace to health and that
Il may he remedied by more scrupulous
care among employers and by adequate
legislation. The authors state that
about one hundred cases OF blindness
and death have been recorded In lit
erature. and they assert that far
greater number have remained unre-
corded or failed to be traced to the
inhalation of wood alcohol fumes. The
INtk ludl uDOuL tV'sp'V EdllOllS VI Npbii
alcohol was manufactured In lssn
while in 1910 the quantity had in
creased to 100000 gallons shows the
firm establishment OF this industry.
Two million people were engaged. ac
cording to the census of 1904. In trades
and industries in which wood alcohol
Is constantly used. The number Is
probably doubled now. These include
painters, glaciers, varnishers, lnun-
derers. boot and shoe makers. BARRIERS,
printers, lithosraphers. woodworkcrs In
furniture and pianos, dyers. gold and
silver smiths. hat makers leather work.
ers. photographers. bookblnders, chem
ISIS and others. The existing indiffer-
ence to this menace is evidenced by the
Tact that it is not mentioned specill'
cally as a hazard In the employers liza
biiity act.
The conclusions reached by these I'M
biassed Investigators demand puOlica
ZION as n warning TO all concerned. In
halation Of wood alcohol is proved to
he as dangerous rs drinking IL. Ordinary
ventilation Is Insufficient 10 neutraiize
the poisonous fumes; al least three
times the ordinary air space must be
allowed. Placards warning against the
danger should be posted and intermt
tent exposure should be arranged.
Many diseases of the stomach. heart
aud kidneys have been traced to pro
longed or oft repeated inhalation Of
small quantities of wood alcohol While
these experiments were made on dogs.
It has been proved by German observ-
erS that humans are more liable 10
poisoning by wood alcoaol than these
animals. because the latter eliminate
II faster. The authors recommend a
law forbidding the sale Of wood alco-
hol for varnis shes, &C., containing ben
zine and other ingredients that render
the warm sh soft. Denatured alcohol
may he used for varnis shes, &c, eco
nom,cally. and It is only one tenth as
dangerous.
Finally. a Jail sentence should be I'm
posed upon sellers OF wood alcohol
without correct label. This IS espe-
clally necessary to prevent deception
by the new refined product called Co
lumbar spirit, which Is devoid Of odor
! and therefore more danger Gus. DIR.
! HoInrN, n member of the New York
Committee for Preventing Blindness,
approved these suggestions. He cited
cases Of brewers having been mulcted
/ for damages. in one uncontested case
for S12nOO by varnlshers In brewery
watts. Legislation to demand poison
I labels for preparations containing wood
alcohol has been actively opposed by
! manufacturers. DR.. HOLDEN, who Is
| member OF the advisory hoard Of the
city Health Department. mentioned the
d gratifying fact that the latter contem
plates an ordinance demanding this
poison label. lie also made the sur
I Using statement that the chief oppo
sltlon to the latter came from "per
| fumery manufacturers who use wood
alcohol In the Majority Of toilet preph
ratlons" II this is true may not many
otherwise lnexplicable headaches and
malaise arise from highly perfume
deodorized wood alcohol?
Herein les clue for the Health