Attempt to wipe up benzine spilt in the storage cellar of a large chemical cleaning works resulted in poisoning.
A night worker in a bone extracting works having turned on the steam, instead of watching the process fell asleep on a bench. In consequence the apparatus became so hot that the solder of a stop valve melted, allowing fumes to escape. The man was found dead in the morning. In a carpet cleaning establishment three workers lost consciousness and were found senseless on the floor. They recovered on inhalation of oxygen.
One further case reported from the instances of benzine poisoning collected recently[9] is worth quoting. A worker in a chemical factory was put to clean a still capable of distilling 2500 litres of benzine. It contained remains of a previous filling. As soon as he had entered the narrow opening he became affected and fell into the benzine; he was carried unconscious to the hospital, his symptoms being vomiting, spastic contraction of the extremities, cyanosis, weak pulse, and loss of reflexes, which disappeared an hour and a half later.
The occurrence of skin affections in the naphtha industry has been noted by several observers, especially among those employed on the unpurified mineral oils. Eruptions on the skin from pressing out the paraffin and papillomata (warty growths) in workers cleaning out the stills are referred to by many writers,[10] Ogston in particular.
Recent literature refers to the occurrence of petroleum eczema in a firebrick and cement factory. The workers affected had to remove the bricks from moulds on to which petroleum oil dropped. An eczematous condition was produced on the inner surface of the hands, necessitating abstention from work. The pustular eczema in those employed only a short time in pressing paraffin in the refineries of naphtha factories is referred to as a frequent occurrence. Practically all the workers in three refineries in the district of Czernowitz were affected. The view that it is due to insufficient care in washing is supported by the report of the factory inspector in Rouen, that with greater attention in this matter on the part of the workers marked diminution in its occurrence followed.
SULPHUR
Recovery and Use.—Sulphur, which is found principally in Sicily (also in Spain, America, and Japan), is obtained by melting. In Sicily this is carried out in primitive fashion by piling the rock in heaps, covering them with turf, and setting fire to them. About a third of the sulphur burns and escapes as sulphur dioxide, while the remainder is melted and collects in a hole in the ground.
The crude sulphur thus wastefully produced is purified by distillation in cast-iron retorts directly fired. It comes on the market as stick or roll sulphur or as flowers of sulphur.
Further sources for recovery of sulphur are the Leblanc soda residues (see Soda Production), from which the sulphur is recovered by the Chance-Claus process, and the gas purifying material (containing up to 40 per cent.), from which the sulphur can be recovered by carbon bisulphide (see Illuminating Gas Industry).