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
The dust was situated in the alveoli
and the alveolar cells, and often in the lymphatics. On examining
microscopically sections of the lungs of those animals exposed to
graduated inhalation over extensive periods, a far larger number of
blackened granules, dust, pigment, and other substances, was found than
in similar sections of animals which were under normal conditions and
had not been exposed to lead dust, although it is true such animals
show a very fair proportion of carbon particles taken up by the lung
tissue.
A further important fact was noticeable in animals Nos. 21 and 22
(see p. 101), which had been exposed to a low solubility glaze such
as is used in the Potteries. Low solubility glaze is compounded with
lead frit--that is to say, a lead glaze (or lead silicate) which has
been finely ground. The particles of this substance are much larger
than those of ordinary white lead, and in addition they are much more
angular. Of three animals exposed to this glaze, one actually died of
pneumonia (acute), and the other two suffered from some bronchial
trouble, both of them showing distinct signs of pneumonic patches and
old and chronic inflammation when examined histologically; whereas in
none of the other animals exposed to white lead dust or to the high
solubility glaze, which contained white lead as opposed to lead frit,
no such pneumonic or fibroid changes were found. This point is of some
pathological importance.
The inhalation experiments also throw some light on the quantity of
lead necessary to produce poisoning. The animals in the inhalation
experiments were exposed for varying periods, and constant estimations
made of the lead present in the air. In a number of instances samples
were taken from the cage air during the whole of the experiment, as
rapidly as possible. The quantity of lead floating in the air was found
to increase as the experiment progressed, although a large amount of
the lead introduced was caught on the side of the cage and deposited on
the floor.
In the later experiments the method of taking the samples continuously
during the experiment was abandoned, and four samples only were taken,
and the average recorded. A simple calculation will give the quantity
of lead dust it would be possible for an animal to inhale during the
whole of this period of exposure. The utmost tidal air in the case of a
cat would be taken at 50 c.c. Taking the average, about 0·27 gramme of
lead was inhaled during the half-hour of exposure.
=Feeding Experiments.=--Twelve feeding experiments of various types are
recorded. The method of experiment was as follows:
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