Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-21
Legislature to the enactment OF Ger.
tain protective laws.
FIRST CASES OF

Legislature to the enactment of Ger.
tain protective laws.
FIRST CASES OF
NITROGEN OXIDE
The first poisoning cases treated in
her report arc those from nitrogen
oxide-known as cases OF "fume sick.
ness" In the making Of explosives"
Or. Hamilton explains "a mixed acid
10 used for nitration. one ingredient
OF which is sulphuric acid RELATIVELY
harmless) and the other nitric acid loa
per cent strong Extremely danger-
ousl. AT least. this Is the method
useu IN the majority Of factories. SO
mat nitric acid is the most common
FORM OF poisoning. Nearly 1900 cases
OF this poisoning alone were uncovered
oS the investigation.
When man first goes into nm a.,
mosphere laden with the fumes Of this
aero ne liz conscious OF choking sen-
sation: his eyes burn and he tnds :,
uncut TO talk. He soon gets used a
-, noWcHer-so used to II, in fact, that
ne VIII often stay on in a dankerou.-
ly poisoned atmosphere long enomrh
cause damage, to the throat and lnno.
although at tho time he does not reoI
ie awning more serious was hapnan
ing man choking from tho "a.
Mild cases Of "fumo aickness.. $50
resemble asthma. and they are n,r's
Gus. especially in hot weather II ~
summer OF 1916 one guncot,on IL.
employing 800 men In nitratinr @
70 nave an average OF twenty men
eaery twehtS-iour hours who had 70
go TO the doctor with fume ,icLn
often. though. they would be- cursa s
httie fresh air and medical tr..,
meht and could return to work ~.
same night tne
serious case Of fume sickne,, ..
no SO easily cured. Either bronch,,,n
n,,,, oh'a- or tuberculosis usually re-.
S . 90 great Is the danger of tu.
oefcuiosis. In fact, that ono Iaro.
piosives company will not emnloS
sroes on this account. knowing IT,,
negroes are more subject TO pn,rno.
aiS tuoeFculosis. Sometimes tho AZ.
ooes not develop until Some rim.
at.er the person has been exposed ~
nc iumes. 80 that tho original cao..
nave been known to develon ,,ar.
twenty-five to thirty days afterwars
ana tuberculosis even after ,onn
PERIOD. Ono young man who inh.Isa
neaFy nitrous fumes In an e,n,o.,o
,nat occurred in one plant felt nerr.c,
wen the next day except for a .Iigh,
headache. cough did not deveIon 81
I'll the fourth day. l, was NJ, IN
the end OF few weeks that hi. ,un
showed signs OF congestion. Tn. A.,
tots thought he had a natural ca.s ~
.uueleuiosis until the young man died
ana they performed an autopsy Tbs.
'hey found Sansrene Of the lunr,
Anotner poison used In the manufac-
.urc or explosives Is benzoI q, ,oi,o,
from which phenoi or carbollc .cId =.
made Mild cases OF benzol pojson,ns
upon the central nervous .y.t.n
anu Pfoouce somewhat tho same SWIM
soha OF intoxication produced by nj
.oi a man feels dizzy. confused ana
nna,l, men no grows exhausted and
r.y ioses consciousness. Later no
leeis generally Ill. has no appe,it. anS
Is inclined to be nauseated u
as shSht as this gains little attcn,ia,
uu' al OIL the cases investigated nv n,
a"i''oh were OF very serious ma,
ture' Inc men were victims of acci-
tents In which they inhaled an nm
usual amount OF the vapor and dIed
'ateS. Autopsies showed that
.hi' poison affects other organs surb
as the heart. brain. liver and kidneys
oes'oes the throat and lungs.
Ihat carbolic acid or phc,o, 10
" the oeadliest OF poisons, too Ia. .
n.eh surprise TO many people Who
nho~ It's use as ds!nfec;ant DR..
hamilton found workmen in many
cuts and sores OF various kinds-tra,,
meht that was likely 10 produce ran.
creme In the wound. Nothing IS more
dangerous than q carbolic acid burn
iactoFies "here large quantities OF
vac aclu are used. alcohol. the recoe
nized antidote. is always kent m 49,
70 be applied Immediately to any burns.
INT Very Dangerous.
Next TO nitric acid, trinitrotoluoI -.
1Ni' IS responsible for moro cases Of
poisoning than any other substance In
Inc munitions industry. 1t was very
Ittle known before tho war. and the
United states took up Its manufacture
IN relative Ignorance OF It's erfects.
Irinitrotoluol poisoning starts in some
what the same way as a cold In tho
mead. but soon settles in the CASTRO
intestinal tract. There is usually con-
slant nausea, the skin turns yellow and
the joints become swollen. Fatalities
from this poison are numerous.
thus DR.. Hamilton's Investigation
uncovered numerous new occupational
diseases that have appeared as the re-
suit OF a new industry in which our
manufacturers had had little experi-
ence. IN tho meantime much has been
learned concerning them and many pre-
cautions have been taken to prevent
poisoning. States have passed laws
concerning their use. Certain ventilat-
ms systems must be provided by the
factories; warnings must be issued
concerning the result of inhaling dense
1umes or acid; people must be kent
constantly on hand to resuscitate work.
men accidentally overcome by fumes:
iaclorles must provide helmets for the
"orkmen. and the workmen are COM
peiieo TO take certain precautions re-
sarding their clothing. Massachusetts
and pennsylvania especially have set
admirable examples In .'safety-hrst'
laws. and the United States Depart-
ment OF Labor thinks that IL will be
nut a short time until other munition