Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
The Problem of Occupattonal Diseases
BY FREDERIC ]. HISKIN.

Ten billion dollars year is estimated
as the loss to the American people, due
to illness and death, arising out Of the
development of the machine age. This
is about 10 per cent of the entire
national income The figures do not
include loss attributable to death by
violent accident but represent the
steady toll taken in impaired health
and ultimate demise, chargeable to our
highly developed state OF industrial
organization.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
Department of Labor states these
amazing figures, based on studies con-
Quoted under the direction of Dr.. E.
r. Hayhurst, a distinguished consultant
in industrial hygiene, now connected
with the Ohio State Department OF
Health.
The study relates especially to what
are known as occupational diseases
that is. diseases arising from the type
of work regularly performed. The mat
ter has been under study in many
countries for some time, but these fresh
figures now give full picture of one OF
the prices paid for mass production and
it's benefits.
There is an annual direct cash loss OF
So 600, 900, 900 in wages necessarily fore
gone because of wage earning in
capacity. Actuarial figures have been
made which calculate with great &C
curacy the potential earning power OF
a man. such factors as life expectancy
being taken into account. 1t is estl-
mated that money loss caused by pre-
mature death due to these occupauonal
diseases amounts to $6,O0O,0OOOOO a
year Then there is cost OF medlcal
and hospital service and the like, reach
~, fnfa1 ~ 60 nm O00 DDU or
more.
Students OF the problem recognize,
as a matter of course, that INDUSTRY
cannot be stopped because of this loss.
Nor are all industries very direct con-
tributing factors. Nevertheless, IL Is
generally agreed that there couid De
made a very substantial cut IN the
figures. ~
Many Diseases Are New.
Not all of the loss can be blamed
purely on the machine age, but the
great industrial development OF tEe
last two or three decades has greatIy
magnified the problem. OccupatloIldl
diseases are almost as old as occupa-
tions-certainly as old as steady occupa-
tons. While housemaid's knee IS not
listed by the scientists as an occupa-
tional disease, it is undenlably a lact
that housemaids who spend many hours
upon their knees over an extended
period of years are affected by thelr
occupation. If the ailment were m
cluded. it would be under the claSslh-
cation of fatigue diseases"
Looking at some of the cla5sltlcatlons
which have been made after studlouS
observation in factories, mines, quarrles,
and various other places of industrial
activity, it is found that poisons. directly
traceable to a given occupation. cause
a great amount of illness and premature
death Lead poisoning is rather wen
known in this classification. Makers
and repairers of storage batteries SUI
fer much from this.
Diseases of the lungs and skin are
caused by taking fine, irritating particles
into the system The microscopic steel
dust of machine shop or the aust in
coal mine or in a stone quarry can be
fairly blamed for many sacrifice OF
life to modern industry.
Then there are the FRACTIONAL diseases
caused by parts of the body coming IN
contact with moving objects constantly.
A worker at a machine. to perform
some mechanical operation. may per-
haps touch his hand. his knee, his loot
TO some lever or wheel thousands OF
times a day. month in and month out.
This will develop bone difficulties. The
fatigue diseases are many, arising from
similar causes, particularly remaining