[Papers on dusty trades] / by F.L. Hoffman.

  • Frederick Ludwig Hoffman
Date:
1908-1919
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: [Papers on dusty trades] / by F.L. Hoffman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    88/754 page 710
    or alluvial mud. These are ground together with water to a muddv consistency, which is then dried by heating in chambers. This beinc a wet process no dust is raised, but during the next stage, the dissm^ out ot the cement, a great deal of dust is created. The material raised is then calcined, ground between rollers, and finally packed in bags In the last two operations, the grinding and packing, much dust is also scattered. The particles are of a sharp, irritating character, and therefore dangerous. In Oliver's Dangerous Trades, the manufacture of cement from a hygienic point of view is briefly discussed and illustrated by a microphotograph of cement dust by Migerka. Oliver's description is as follows: Under the microscope are seen a few sharp-edged little plates and amorphous masses like small clumps. The particles are not of them- selves so dangerous as might at first sight appear. Although cement workers suffer from pulmonary disease, they do not do so to the great extent that might be expected. Probably the harmful effects are largely due to the hygroscopic character of the particles and their alkaline reaction. There are no official vital statistics of this employment for the United States or for England and Wales. The recorded industrial insurance mortality statistics of cement workers include only 88 deaths from all causes, of which 17, or 19.3 per cent, were deaths from consumption. Of the mortality of cement workers from other respiratory diseases, 5 were from pneumonia and 3 from other dis- eases of that class. If the deaths from consumption and from other respiratory diseases are combined, it is found that 28.4 per cent of the mortality of cement workers was from diseases of the lungs and air passages. The excess in the consumption mortality of cement workers is more clearly brought out in the tabular presentation of the pro- portionate mortality from this disease by divisional periods of life: PROPORTIONATE MORTALITY FROM CONSUMPTION AMONG CEMENT WOKK- ERS, 1897 TO 1906, COMPARED WITH THAT OF ALL MALES IN THE REGISTRA- TION AREA OF THE UNITED STATES, 1900 TO 1906, BY AGE GROUPS. [Figures for cement workers from experience of an industrial insurance company ; figures for males in the registration area computed from mortality statistics of the United States census.] Age at death. 15 to 24 years.. 25 to 3-1 years.. 35 to 44 years.. 45 to 54 years.. 55 to 64 years.., 65 years or over Total Deaths of cement work- ers, 1897 to 1906, due to- Per cent of deaths due to consumption among— All causes. Consump- tion. Cement workers. Males in registration area, 1900 to 1900. 10 12 19 15 19 13 1 3 4 6 3 10.0 25.0 21.1 40.0 15.8 27.8 31.3 23.6 15.0 8.1 2.7 88 17 10.3 14.»
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3