Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-05-26
PRECAUTIONS FOR
! employees REPAY
EFFORTS MADE
DR.. Clark Says Medical Super
vision H1 Factory Has Reduced
Tubercular Trouble.


tories means money in the pockets OF
the employer was the declaration oi
DIR. w. Irving Clark, of the Norton
Grinding Company, of Worcester
Mass, in his address on Medical
Supervision Of Factory Employees,
given in the Bamberger auditorium
yesterday afternoon. He spoke to a
small group of factory and store
heads, representing about twenty
thousand workers The lecture was
under the direction or the Anti
Tuberculosis Society.
Dr. Clark was introduced by Ernest
d. Easton, secretary of the society
who said that, although the lecture
would not deal directly with tubercu-
losis, it would tend to show how that
disease can be combated in its early
stages. In his lecture, which was
illustrated, Dr. Clark showed that
since adopting the medical inspection
and hospital at the factory, the Nor
ton company had better results from
its hundreds of workers, had lessened
tho number of days the men lost from
their work through sickness and in
juries, and the the payments under
the liability law had decreased.
The doctor said that he did not con-
slider this welfare work, nor char
ity, but level-headed business prop
osition, in which the employer and
empioye both benefited, and the COM
pany thinks they are making money.
One of the first and most important
things, said DIR. Clark. was the ex'
animation of the applicant for posi-
tlon This he made oven more severe
than that given when man is taking
out life insurance. He contended that
il there Is any trouble with the man,
but not serious enough to cause his
rejection as an employe, he can De
followed up, and by proper care kept
in the best of condition. Not only are
examinations made upon man en-
tering the plant, but at the first sign
of Illness, no matter how trivial, he
Is Immediately given q thorough eX-
animation, and this is continued until
he has completely, recovered or been
sent home and put under the care Of
his own physician.
"Even here" said the doctor, our
work does not end, for we Keep IN
touch with the worker, and as soon
as he is At to return to work the
office is notified. Should he continue
10 remain away, a letter is sent him
that unless he is back at his machine
on a certain day another will be em-
ployed to take his place
Close Records Kept
A close record of each examination
and each case is kept by him and his
assistant, said the doctor, and in this
way, when it is necessary to cut down
the working force, the poorest work.
men can be weeded out.
DIR. Clark asserted that at the Nor
ton plant they had one of the best
equipped small hospitals in the coun-
try, and that they were prepared to
take care of any case, no matter how
serious. Besides the hospital, each
foreman has q first aid to the injured
kit, said the doctor. This is only to
be used in serious cases, and until the
injured man can be carried TO the
hospital. In minor cases, the doctor
said, all of the men had learned to
come Immediately to the hospital, and
in this way infections and serious
consequences had been prevented.
For the cleansing of the wounds
find that gasoline Is the best and
quickest. 1t will smart for probably
half minute, but 1t will kill every
germ.
after washing the wound with the
gasoline we drop iodine into it and
this completes the work of the gaso-
line"
Compulsory Use of Hospital.
w men llle HOSplldi WIS illSl oppiiSu
its use was not compulsory said DIR.
Clark. "and our chart showed many
absentees fpom sickness and for per-
sonal reasons. After the first year
the use OF the hospital was made
compulsory, and the decrease in num-
ber of lost days was surprising.
1T was figured that by the COM
pulsory use of the hospital the COM
pany had saved ninety and two
hc for the
If this pays or not, you can best de-
eide for yourself"
Here q chart was flashed ON the
screen showing the difference in lost
time when the employees were com
PEELED to use the factory hospital
and when they went to their own
doctors. DR.. Clark said that all fac
tories like to keep their old employees,
MS they reap the benefit of their eX-
perience, and they can accomplish
more and better work. He asserted
that through the medical supervision
of Norton. people had been able, to
do this, as they weeded out the poor
workmen in the beginning.
The doctor said that an official
of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit had
visited him at the factory hospital
and, after learning the details, the
system of medical supervision and
examination had been adopted with
the best Of results.
He asserted that the traction peo-
pie figured that the medical super
vision had cost them about 81 a man
year, and that they had saved con-
siderable more than that per man in
efficiency and working hours. as there
were far fewer men out on the sick
list -
The lecturer said that in the case
of tuberculosis it is always dis
covered in it's early stages. with the
result that by proper care and living
the majority of men recover their
health and are able to return to work
in a short time.
"In cases like this" said the doc
tor, 1--WE do not depend upon eXami-
nation. but bring the man before us
several times a day and take his
temperature and test his saliva If
his sputum shows negative for three
consecutive days we believe that he
Is not a tuberculosis sufferer. Should
the sputum return positive, then we
make arrangements to send the man
to Rutland, and in all probabilities
he is able to return to the works in q
few months. This is accomplished
solely through preventative measures
I'm cases of injuries full record
of the accident is made, and frequent
ly committee of safety, composed
of workers and officials of the plant
go over the records and see If those
particular accidents could have been
avoided by a safety device.
Through this the company saves
money in the paying out of liability
claims" concluded the doctor. Views
of the hospital and charts of the
work accomplished were shown by
the stereopticon, and at the conclu-
sion of the lecture those present gave
DR.. Clark a rising vote of thanks.