The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-06-28
MINERS CONSUMPTION
JOPLIN INVESTIGATION
CAUSED BY iNHALlNG FINE
ROCK DUST-FOLLOWED
BY TUBERCULOSIS.

A recent investigation of the causes
and prevalence Of miners consump-
ton among the metal miners in
southwestern Missouri forms the sub
ject of public health bulletin No. IS,
issued by the U. S. public health SER
vice.
Miners consumption consists essen
TALLY of a mechanical injury to the
lungs due to the prolonged inhalation
Of hard rock dust 1t has been rec
ognized as being prevalent in some
American mining districts, particu-
larly in the Joplin zinc and lead dis
tricts 1t was to determine it's actual
prevalence and it's relationship to
pulmonary tuberculosis that the in
vestigation was undertaken.
Short Wind First Symptom.
In the Joplin district certain mines
are known as sheet ground mines, in
which the ore is found imbedded in
an exceedingly hard flint. In drilling
and other mining operations this flint
rock is finely pulverized. The min
ute rock dust particles enter the
lungs, in the process of natural
breathing, and by their irritating ac-
ton cause the formation of fibrous or
scarlike tissue. The effect of this is
to lessen the lungs ability to expand
and contract, with the result that the
victim first notices that he is becom-
ing short winded. With continued ex-
posture to this silica containing dust
the difficulty of breathing. increases
until the miner Is no longer able to
perform active physical labor. 1t was
found also that men with dust injur-
ed lungs We're especially liable to de-
velOp tuberculosis the dust irritation
lessening the ordinary resisting pow
ers of the lungs. While miners con-
sumption is not in itself infectious or
contagious, 1t predsposes to tubercu-
losis. The greater the amount of
rock dust injury the greater the liza
bility to tuberculosis; the far advanc-
ed cases of miners consumption prac-
tically all become tuberculosis before
their death. q
Many Miners Examined.
Under an entirely voluntary system
100 miners presented themselves for
physical examination, of whom 439
were found to have had their lungs
injured by the inhalation of rock dust;
of these 1913 were also tuberculous,
the amount of tuberculosis infection
being greatest among the advanced
cases of the rock dust disease
Five years steady work with ex-
posture to flint dust is fairly certain
to find the miner in at least the first
stages of miners consumption. If the
miner continues his work after being
affected, death usually results within
ten years from the time that exposure
to flint dust commenced. Poor hous-
ing conditions were found to be prev
alent and to add to the liability of
tuberculosis infection. Apparently
tuberculosis is now occurring at an
eoihei '"se VI miners consumption
than was formerly the case. The re-
port lays emphasis on the necessity of
preventing the spread of tuberculo-
sis through these cases, especially
among miners children. The fact
that miners consumption is fore
runner Of tuberculosis necessitates
that 1t be treated with the same hy-
genie precautions as is the latter dis
ease
The report concludes that aside
from the hygenic supervision of UNI
derground working places, the educa-
ton of the miner against the spread
of infection and supervision of min
ers' children. especially those of con-
parents, are matters of vital
Importance.