III. OCCURRENCE OF INDUSTRIAL POISONING IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES

The most important facts have now been stated as to the occurrence of poisoning in industry, and there remain only a few gaps to fill in and to survey briefly the risks in certain important groups of industry.

TREATMENT OF STONE AND EARTHS

Lime Burning: Glass Industry

Lead poisoning in the ceramic industry (earthenware, porcelain, glass, polishing of precious stones, &c.) has been dealt with in detail in the chapter on Lead. There is further the possibility of chrome-ulceration, of arsenic poisoning, and conceivably also of manganese. Further, poisoning by carbonic oxide and carbon dioxide may occur from the escape of furnace gases where hygienic conditions are bad. In charging lime kilns poisoning by carbonic oxide has occurred. The report of the Union of Chemical Industry in 1906 describes the case of a workman who was assisting in filling the kiln with limestone. As the furnace door was opened for the purpose gas escaped in such amount as to render him unconscious. He was picked up thirty minutes later, but efforts at resuscitation failed.

Carbonic oxide poisoning, again, may arise from the use of Siemens regenerative furnaces, especially glass furnaces: details are given in the chapter on Illuminating Gas.

Hydrofluoric acid is present as an industrial poison in glass etching (see Fluorine Compounds). Persons employed in this process suffer from inflammation of the respiratory tract and ulceration of the skin of the hands. I could not find any precise statement as to the frequency of the occurrence of such injuries. Use of sand-blasting to roughen the surface of glass has to some extent taken the place of etching by hydrofluoric acid.

TREATMENT OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS

In tanning use of arsenic compounds for detaching the wool from skins and of gas lime for getting rid of hair may cause injury to health. With the latter there is possibility of the action of cyanogen compounds (see the chapters on Arsenic and Cyanogen).

PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FOOD STUFFS AND THE LIKE

In fermentation processes as in breweries and the sugar industry accumulations of carbonic acid gas occur, and suffocation from this source has been repeatedly described. Mention in this connection should be made of the use of salufer containing some 2 per cent. of silicofluoric acid as a preservative and antiseptic in beer brewing. In the sulphuring of hops, wine, &c., the workers may run risk from the injurious action of sulphur dioxide. Arsenic in the sulphuric acid used for the production of dextrine may set up industrial poisoning. Poisoning from ammonia gas can occur in cold storage premises. Industrial poisoning from tobacco is not proved, but the injurious effect of the aroma and dust of tobacco—especially in women—in badly arranged tobacco factories is probable.

WOOD WORKING

Injurious woods.—In recent literature there are several interesting references to injury to health from certain poisonous kinds of wood—skin affections in workers manipulating satinwood, and affections of the heart and general health in workers making shuttles of African boxwood. Details of these forms of poisoning are reported from England and Bavaria. The wood used for making the shuttles was West African boxwood (Gonioma Kamassi). It appears that the wood contains an alkaloidal poison which affects the heart’s action. The workers suffered from headache, feeling of sleepiness, lachrymation, coryza, difficulty of breathing, nausea, and weakness. Four workers had to give up the work because of the difficulty in breathing. Inquiry was made by Dr. John Hay of Liverpool in 1908 and by the medical inspector of factories in 1905. The following table shows the symptoms found:

Symptoms.
(1)		Persons Examined.
1905.1907-1908.
Number.
(2)		Per cent.
(3)		Number.
(4)		Per Cent.
(5)
Headache2724·11822·8
Feeling of somnolence109·01721·5
Running of eyes1311·6911·3
Running of nose2825·02028·0
Breathing affected3430·41316·4
Nausea or sickness1311·633·8
Faintness or weakness119·611·2

The later inquiry shows considerable diminution in the amount of complaint as to respiratory trouble. This may have been due to the improved conditions of working, freely acknowledged by the men. Men were examined who had complained of the effects of the wood in 1905, and had continued uninterruptedly at the same kind of work during the interval without any obvious further injury to their health, although they preferred working on other woods.

East Indian boxwood had to be discarded in the shuttle trade owing to its irritant action on the eyes. Sabicu wood from Cuba was stated to give off ‘a snuffy dust under the machine and hand planes, the effect of which upon the worker is to cause a running at the eyes and nose, and a general feeling of cold in the head. The symptoms pass off in an hour or so after discontinuance of work.’ Reference was made in the report for 1906 to eczematous eruptions produced by so-called Borneo rosewood, a wood used owing to its brilliant colour and exquisite grain in fret-saw work. The Director of the Imperial Institute experimented with this wood, but failed to discover injurious properties in it. At the same time experiments with the wood and sawdust of East and West Indian satinwood were undertaken, but also without result.

From inquiries subsequently made it appeared that much confusion existed as to the designation ‘satinwood,’ as under this name were classed both East and West Indian satinwood and also satin walnut. The evidence was clear that East Indian satinwood was more irritating than West Indian. Satin walnut wood is apparently harmless. In the shipbuilding yards of East London, Glasgow, and Bristol affections of the skin were recognised, but susceptibility to the wood varied. One man asserted that merely laying a shaving on the back of his hand would produce a sore place. The injurious effects here seem to disappear quickly. Exhaust ventilation is applied, but there is a tendency to give up the use of the wood.

Isolated cases of illness have been ascribed to working teak and olive wood. In Sheffield the following are held to be irritating: ebony, magenta rosewood, West Indian boxwood, cocos wood. Some kinds of mahogany are said to affect the eyes and nose.

Use of methylated spirit in polishing furniture is said to lead to injury to health although not to set up actual poisoning. Lead poisoning can occur from the sand-papering of coats of paint applied to wood.

In impregnating wood with creosote and tar the effects on the skin noted in the chapter on Tar are observed.

TEXTILE INDUSTRY

In getting rid of the grease from animal wool carbon bisulphide or benzine may be used.

The process of carbonising in the production of shoddy may give rise to injury to health from acid fumes. Lead poisoning used to be caused by the knocking together of the leaden weights attached to the Jacquard looms. This is a thing of the past, as now iron weights are universal.

Opportunity for lead poisoning is given in the weighting of yarn—especially of silk with lead compounds.

In bleaching use of chlorine and sulphur dioxide has to be borne in mind.

In chemical cleaning poisoning by benzine may occur.

In dyeing and printing use of poisonous colours is lessening, as they have been supplanted by aniline colours. On occurrence of aniline poisoning in aniline black dyeing see the section on Aniline. Use of lead colours and of chromate of lead are dealt with in special sections.

PART II
THE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF INDUSTRIAL POISONING

In this section the most important diseases and symptoms of industrial poisoning will be described. In doing this—considering the mainly practical purpose of this book—theoretical toxicological details and any full discussion of disputed scientific points will be omitted.