Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-10
HARVARD PLAN
PIONEER WORK
HUMAN HEALTH
Group Studying Lead
Poisoning and Dust
in Factories
Have Perfected Method of Oh.
serving Fibrosis Of Lungs
Now at Work on Dust-Test-
ing Apparatus-Clinic Studi-
ed $500 Cases Past Year at
Mass. General Hospital

Cambridge. Mass, April 9.-Throush
the division of Industrial hygiene,
which IS part of the new school Of
public health. Harvard University is
making series of studies of the
health hazards of industry in order to
accumulate fundamental facts on the
relation between industrial jobs and
III health which may prove useful in
the prevention of disease.
Or. Cecil X. Drnkcr, DR.. joseph c.
Aub and their associates have been
making three-year laboratory study
OF lead poisoning. and they are also
investigating the harmfulness to the
human system of various kinds of
dusts which may be encountered by
industrial workers in mines and fac
tories. Methods which are said to be
novel and satisfactory have been de-
veloped at the Harvard laboratories for
the study of fibrosis Of tho lungs due
to silica, and the investigators are also
pertecting apparatus to determine the
amount of any given kind of dust in
the air of factories or in dusty sur
roundings of any sort.
The aim of these Investigations,
which are still in their early stages.
is to collect definite scientific informa
ton which may ultimately make it
possible to determine Just how harm
full to the human system any given
kind Of dust Is, and whether the
amount Of such dust in any given fac
| tory or mine is sufficient to endanger
the health of the workers
Meanwhile. at the Massachusetts
General hospital. members of the di-
vision of industrial hygiene are opcr-
ating an industrial clinic in which
they study cases of industrial toxica
tons, poisoning, inhalation of dust. ia
tigue Of special groups Of muscles, and
other kinds Of cases as they come into
the hospital During the past year
about $500 cases passed through the
clinic. The observation of these cases
| forms part of the work of the SIN
dents in the Harvard Medical school
who are studying Industrial hygiene
Next year courses in various aspects
| Of the subject will be given both In
! the medical school and the new Uar-
ward School of Public Health, includ-
! ing short intensive course in March
Tor nurses company doctors and others
whose available time is limited.
The division has also been studying
i the health of employees in % DEPART
ment stores in Boston. New York and
other cities. and on the basis of this
study has advised these stores about
methods of protecting the health Of
their employees
In some cases it has assisted the
stores in establishing dispcnsaries. 4
similar service was performed last
| year when standards for first aid
equipment were proposed BY the de-
partment for electric light companies
and We're adopted by the accident pro.
vention committee of the National
Electric Light Associa ton.
THE principle on which we work
/ said member Of the department to.
day. is that a mans job counts for
Just as much as factor in his health
/ as do bacteria or heat or cold or lot
! Of other things which medicine regards
as important. Business mon arc com.
ing to realize that it pays to improve
! the health of employees by rcducine
hazards and paving attention to mat
tiers like nutrition. 1t is equally worth
! while for the community to learn more
about the relation &C jobs to i'll health
and to apply this knowledge. SO that
for the public good we can reduce the
chances of sickness.
I'VE ought 10 know, for every impor-
tant industry what arc the special dis
| cases or ailments 10 which workers in
that industry are liable. and how the
! diseases can be prevented or caught in
their early stages. by changing the
methods of work or by other means.
THE department is willing to serve
either employers or employees and we
| believe that if our work is on a sound
scientific basis it must necessarily be
valuable to both and to the public at
large as we'll"