The workers at the naphtha wells suffer from acute and chronic affections of the respiratory organs. Those suffer most who cover the wells with cast iron plates to enable the flow of naphtha to be regulated and led into the reservoirs. In doing this they inhale naphtha spray.
Lewin[2] describes cases of severe poisoning with fatal issue among American workers employed in petroleum tanks. One man who wished to examine an outlet pipe showed symptoms after only two minutes. Weinberger describes severe poisoning of two workers engaged in cleaning out a vessel containing petroleum residue.
Interesting particulars are given of the effect of petroleum emanations on the health of the men employed in the petroleum mines of Carpathia, among whom respiratory affections were rarely found, but poisoning symptoms involving unconsciousness and cerebral symptoms frequently. These experiences undoubtedly point to differing physiological effects of different kinds of naphtha.
This is supported by the view expressed by Sharp in America that different kinds of American petroleum have different effects on the health of the workers, which can be easily credited from the different chemical composition of crude naphthas. Thus in Western Virginia, where a natural heavy oil is obtained, asphyxia from the gas is unknown, although transient attacks of headache and giddiness may occur, whereas in Ohio, where light oils are obtained, suffocative attacks are not infrequent. And it is definitely stated that some naphtha products irritate the respiratory passages, while others affect the central nervous system.[3]
The authors mentioned refer to occurrence of cases of poisoning in the refining of naphtha from inhalation of the vapour of the light oils benzine and gasoline. Fatal cases have been recorded in badly ventilated workrooms in which the products of distillation are collected. Workers constantly employed in these rooms develop chronic poisoning, which is reported also in the case of women employed with benzine. Intoxication is frequently observed, it is stated, among the workmen employed in cleaning out the railway tank waggons in which the mineral oils and petroleum are carried.
Foulerton[4] describes severe poisoning in a workman who had climbed into a petroleum reservoir, and two similar cases from entering naphtha tanks are given in the Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for 1908. Two fatal cases are reported by the Union of Chemical Industry in Germany in 1905 in connection with naphtha stills. Such accidents are hardly possible, except when, through insufficient disconnection of the still from the further system of pipes, irrespirable distillation gases pass backwards into the opened still where persons are working. Ordinary cocks and valves, therefore, do not afford sufficient security. Thus, several workers engaged in repairing a still were rendered unconscious by gases drawn in from a neighbouring still, and were only brought round after oxygen inhalation.
Gowers describes a case of chronic poisoning following on frequent inhalation of gases given off from a petroleum motor, the symptoms being slurring speech, difficulty of swallowing, and weakness of the orbicularis and facial muscles. Gowers believed this to be petroleum gas poisoning (from incomplete combustion), especially as the symptoms disappeared on giving up the work, only to return on resuming it again.[5]
Girls employed in glove cleaning and rubber factories are described as having been poisoned by benzine.[6] Poisoning of chauffeurs is described by several writers.[7]
Recent literature[8] tends to show marked increase in the number of cases of poisoning from greater demand for benzine as a motive power for vehicles. Such cases have been observed in automobile factories, and are attributable to the hydrocarbons of low boiling-point which are present as impurities in benzine.
A worker in a paraffin factory had entered an open benzine still to scrape the walls free of crusts containing benzine. He was found unconscious and died some hours later. It appeared that he had been in the still several hours, having probably been overcome to such an extent by the fumes as to be unable to effect his escape.