Lead poisoning and lead absorption

by Sir Thomas Morison Legge; Kenneth Weldon Goadby

Number of Persons Employed.

			Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.	Total Cases.	Attack Rate per 1,000.			Total Cases, M. & F.	Attack Rate per 1,000.
1899		M.	13	24	106	39	7	13	2	20	—	—	—	—	—	—	128	29		-	249	37
		F.	8	34	83	74	21	37	4	36	—	—	5	32	—	—	121	53
1900		M.	11	21	62	23	12	22	3	30	5	23	1	23	1	5	95	22		-	200	30
		F.	10	42	67	60	15	27	2	18	—	—	11	70	—	—	105	46
1901		M.	7	13	37	13	9	16	—	—	3	14	1	23	—	—	57	13		-	106	16
		F.	2	8	28	25	7	12	2	18	1	14	9	57	—	—	49	21
1902	[A]	M.	3	6	30	11	6	11	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	5	40	9		-	87	13
		F.	2	8	33	29	5	9	2	18	1	14	4	25	—	—	47	20
1903		M.	1	2	29	11	8	14	1	10	3	14	—	—	1	5	43	10		-	97	14
		F.	6	25	32	29	9	16	6	55	—	—	1	6	—	—	54	23
1904	[B]	M.	2	4	31	11	6	11	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	39	9		-	106	16
		F.	1	4	41	37	19	34	1	9	1	14	4	25	—	—	67	29
1905		M.	4	8	25	9	4	7	—	—	—	—	2	45	1	5	36	8		-	84	13
		F.	3	13	23	20	14	25	4	36	2	28	2	13	—	—	48	21
1906		M.	5	8	34	12	7	15	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	4	47	10		-	107	16
		F.	2	7	41	37	10	21	3	18	—	—	3	17	1	24	60	25
1907		M.	6	10	38	13	4	8	—	—	1	6	—	—	3	13	52	12		-	103	15
		F.	7	23	33	30	6	12	1	6	—	—	3	17	1	24	51	22
1908		M.	4	6	45	16	3	6	—	—	1	6	1	15	2	8	56	12		-	117	17
		F.	1	3	42	38	8	16	1	6	—	—	8	45	1	24	61	26
1909		M.	2	3	22	8	4	8	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	28	6		-	58	8
		F.	1	3	17	15	7	14	—	—	2	29	2	11	1	24	30	13

[A] Lord James’s Code—Rule 3 onwards—came into force.

[B] Medical examination of men began.

The processes in so far as lead enters can best be divided into—(1) Glaze; (2) decorative.

1. Glaze Processes.—The charge of glaze is made by weighing out and mixing carbonate of lead with the necessary silicates and silico-borates in the lead house or mixing-room, where wet grinding prepares the mixture for the dipping-tub. “Putters-up” hand the ware to the dipper, from whom “takers-off” place it on boards for removal to the drying still, or place it (in large works) directly on to the shelf of an appliance known as a “mangle,” in which an endless chain carries the ware through a heated chamber. Subsequently superfluous glaze has to be removed from the base, rims, and not infrequently also other parts of the articles. This ware cleaning is performed with a wet sponge or flannel, either while the ware is still moist or by scraping, the particles removed dropping into a vessel of water; or, if the glaze is dry, over a grating provided with exhaust draught. The ware is next removed by the glost-placer on boards, and each piece is separately placed by him in the sagger (fireclay receptacle) and carried into an oven to be fired.

2. Decorative Processes.—Majolica painting is the application of a coloured glaze rich in lead by means of a brush. Ground-laying consists in dusting powdered enamel colour on to a pattern first printed on glazed ware with an oily medium. Colour dusting differs from the same only in detail.

Aerographing (colour blowing) is the blowing on to the ware, by means of a jet of compressed air, coloured glaze, or enamel colour held in suspension in oil or other liquid in a glaze kettle or aerograph instrument.

Dangers.

—Apart from risk inseparable from, and increased by, defective lighting, uneven floors of wood or brick, collection of dust on benches and floors, and the risk entailed in the sweeping of these even when watering is practised, and lack of care and attention to detail on the part of the worker, the following special dangers are incidental to the various processes: In dipping the glaze (except in tiles, where the surface only is allowed to touch the liquid), splashes on to the face and overalls of the dipper, “hander-up,” and “taker-off” (dipper’s assistants), and “threader-up” (in the case of china furniture), especially when, as with plates, there is much shaking of the ware. These splashes dry, and the overalls may become so coated with glaze that every movement, such as carrying boards or leaning against the mangle, crumbles it off as dust into the air. As the dipper shakes the ware, some of the drops are disseminated into the atmosphere as a fine spray. In ware cleaning the work may have to be done so rapidly that it is difficult always to observe proper care, and the worker is tempted to withdraw the article from the range of the exhaust. Sometimes a ware cleaner is seen blowing away with her mouth dust lying on the ware.