Lead poisoning and lead absorption : $b The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving riskLegge, Thomas Morison, Sir
Science
Lead poisoning and lead absorption : $b The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving risk
Legge, Thomas Morison, Sir
Lead poisoning
Regulations issued in 1911 in Austria require, among other things--(1)
Melting-pots, and, so far as is practicable, linotype pots also, to be
provided with hoods and ducts to carry the fumes to the outside air or
into a chimney; (2) the type cases to fit either close on to the floor
or with a sufficient space below the lowest drawer to enable the floor
underneath to be easily cleaned; (3) the interior of all compositors’
boxes to be cleaned at least once every three months--if possible,
by means of a vacuum suction apparatus; and (4) quarterly periodical
medical examination to be made of persons employed in casting,
stereotyping, linotyping, assorting type, and composing.
Sommerfeld[12] believes that in Berlin 1·07 per cent. of the
compositors suffer from lead poisoning every year, and that 2·5 per
cent. of all the diseases they suffer from are due to lead. Among 3,641
printers applying for sick relief, Silberstein[13] found 65 suffering
from lead poisoning (1·7 per cent.). Where, however, diagnosis of
lead poisoning is based upon examination of the blood, as in Leipzig,
the amount of compensation paid by the Sickness Insurance Society has
diminished considerably. Thus, of 207 compositors who were either sent
by medical men as cases of, or went themselves suspecting that they
were suffering from, lead poisoning, only 17 (8·2 per cent.) showed
basophilia to such degree as to warrant the diagnosis. The proportion,
on the other hand, among letter founders and electrotypers was 28·6 per
cent.
Printers suffer extensively from phthisis, their comparative mortality
from this cause as compared with the figure for all occupied males
being 290 : 175[14]. This high mortality is probably due mainly to the
vitiation of the atmosphere, and reluctance, on account of extreme
sensitiveness to draughts, to admit fresh air. This closing of windows
by persons employed should be an additional reason for checking the
vitiation from Bunsen burners in connection with linotype and monotype
machines by the only practicable means of preventing perceptible
draught--namely, exhaust ventilation.
=File-Cutting[15].=--The steel file to be cut is placed on a stone
block in the centre of which is inserted a smaller steel block, called
a “stiddy.” The worker holds in his right hand a hammer, weighing
sometimes 7 or 8 pounds, and in his left, closely gripped, a chisel.
Each tooth in the file--and there may be as many as 3,800 teeth to be
cut--is the result of a blow on the chisel, and we have counted as many
as 120 blows with a 7-pound and 200 with a 4-pound hammer per minute.
To offer resistance to the blow and yet prevent a recoil, the file (in
the case of the finer kinds) is placed on a lead bed--that is, a thin
strip of metallic lead. With attrition from repeated impact the lead
bed becomes worn away in the course of a few days, and part of what is
so worn away necessarily takes the form of lead in fine particulate
state.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account