Typical aniline poisoning occurred in Bohemia in 1908 in a cloth presser
working with black dyes. While crushing aniline hydrochloride with
one hand, he ate his food with the other. That the health of persons
employed in aniline black dyeing must be affected by their work is shown
by medical examination. For instance, the English medical inspector of
factories in the summer months of 1905 found among sixty persons employed
in mixing, preparing, and ageing 47 per cent. with greyish coloration of
lips and 57 per cent. characteristically anæmic. Further, of eighty-two
persons employed in padding, washing, and drying, 34 per cent. had grey
lips, 20 per cent. were anæmic, and 14 per cent. with signs of acute or
old effects of chrome ulceration. Gastric symptoms were not infrequently
complained of. The symptoms were worse in hot weather.
Use of aniline in other industries may lead to poisoning. Thus in the
extraction of foreign resins with aniline seventeen workers suffered
(eleven severely). Interesting cases of poisoning in a laundry from use
of a writing ink containing aniline have been recorded.[10]
Reference is necessary to tumours of the bladder observed in aniline
workers. The first observations on the subject were made by Rehn of
Frankfurt, who operated in three cases. Bachfeld of Offenbach noticed in
sixty-three cases of aniline poisoning bladder affections in sixteen.
Seyberth described five cases of tumours of the bladder in workers
with long duration of employment in aniline factories.[11] In the
Höchst factory (and credit is due to the management for the step) every
suspicious case is examined with the cystoscope. In 1904 this firm
collected information from eighteen aniline factories which brought to
light thirty-eight cases, of which eighteen ended fatally. Seventeen were
operated on, and of these eleven were still alive although in three there
had been recurrence.
Tumours were found mostly in persons employed with aniline,
naphthylamine, and their homologues, but seven were in men employed with
benzidine.
Cases of benzene and toluidine poisoning in persons superintending tanks
and stills have been described.
Industrial paranitraniline poisoning has been described, and a fatal case
in the Höchst dye works was attributed by Lewin (as medical referee) to
inhalation of dust. Before his death the workman had been engaged for
five hours in hydro-extracting paranitraniline.
Paraphenylene diamine leads not unfrequently to industrial poisoning
from use of ursol as a dye. It produces skin eruptions and inflammation
of the mucous membrane of the respiratory passages.[12] No doubt the
intermediate body produced (diimine) acts as a powerful poison.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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