Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on metalliferous mines and quarries : volume 1.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on Metalliferous Mines and Quarries.
Date:
1912
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on metalliferous mines and quarries : volume 1. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    23 June 1910.] Dr. J. S. Haldane. [Continued. Mr. Thomas, to make an inquiry into this subject* ?— Yes. 269. That was in what year ?—In 1902 ; it was the trouble which we found to be due to ankylostomiasis, which was the immediate cause of the inquiry. 270. The terms of reference were : “ To inquire into “ and report, upon the health of the miners employed “ in mines in Cornwall with special reference to the “ injurious effects alleged to be produced by the state “ of ventilation in the mines, the dust arising from the “ use of rock drills and the introduction of impurities “ into the working places through the use of compressed “ air. It was begun by you and Mr. Martin in October 1902 ?—Yes. 271. Then ankylostomiasis having been called attention to, that was added to the inquiry ?—That was the original ground, the illness from ankylosto- miasis, which immediately led to the inquiry. It was rather mixed up with miners’ phthisis. It was not known what the cause of the ankylostomiasis was. 272. For the purpose of our evidence this morning we will deal with the phthisis question and keep that apart. Will you please tell us what phthisis is in very simple language ?—Phthisis is a disease associated with wasting of the body generally and with destructive changes in the lungs. 273. Its cause is the blocking up of the pores of the lungs ?—No. its cause as a general rule is invasion of the tubercle bacillus in ordinary phthisis. 274. The effect is to block up the pores of the lung and prevent the blood being properly oxygenated ?— The tissue of the lung is destroyed. 275. And becomes solid?—It becomes solid or suppurates away. 276. In a healthy state the tissue of the lung is spongy and the air goes into it like a sponge ?—Yes. 277. It permeates everything and gets into contact with the blood ?—Yes. 278. If that spongy character is destroyed the person dies ?—Yes, if sufficient of it is destroyed. 279. That condition of things can be produced with- out dust ?—Yes, it commonly is. 280. That is ordinary consumption ?—Yes. 281. What part does dust play in the production of the disease of phthisis which would be like ordinary consumption ; how does the dust come in ?—So far as it is known at present the inhalation of certain kinds of stone dust renders the lung so unhealthy that it falls a prey with the greatest ease to the attacks of the tubercle bacillus. 282. So that the stone-miners' or the stone-masons’ phthisis is a kind of consumption, but induced by the breathing of certain kinds of stone?—Yes, the pre- disposing cause. 283. Supposing you kept the contagious bacillus away from him, would you get consumption even with the stone dust ?—No, not the cases of miners’ phthisis we see in Cornwall. You would get men short of breath and with a tendency to bronchitis, but not the serious fatal illness known as miners’ phthisis. 284. That is produced by a combination of dust irritating the lungs combined with catching the con- sumptive bacillus ? — Yes ; I should add that the consumptive bacillus is probably everywhere. 285. Probably the consumptive bacillus is in this room for that matter ?—Yes, most people are probably proof against it. 286. I think you examined various possible causes of miners’ phthisis. You dealt with them in a paper by you and Mr. Thomas that was read before the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. You examined the various alleged causes of miners’ phthisis and tiled to locate which was the right one. First there was the absence of siuilight: you came to the conclusion that had not much to do with it?—Yes; that is a condition common to coal mines, iron stone mines, and metalliferous mines. 287. Had it been the cause one would expect to find this disease where there was absence of sunlight ?— Yes, in coal and iron stone mines. * See Report on the Health of Cornish Miners by J. S. Haldane, M.D., F.R.S., J. S. Martin, and R. A. Thomas (Cd. 2091, 1904). 288. Whereas you do not find it to the same degree ?—No. 289. What about exposure to a high temperature and sudden variations of temperature ; how far would that bring about consumption?—We considered that. We investigated carefully the effect of high tempera- tures, and we found no relation between the temperature and the liability to phthisis in the hottest mines in Cornwall. In one, for instance, there appeared to be less miners’ phthisis, and probably that was due to the mine being very wet. 290. Did you examine into the question whether the consumption bacillus could be caught by men from working together; if you have a man who is suffering from consumption, is he likely to give it to the man working near him ? Have you any views on that ?—It is possible a man may be infected in that way. If he has inhaled a lot of dust it would be dangerous to be nearer a source of infection. The younger men, the men who have not had time to inhale much dust, are singularly freer from phthisis in Cornish mines as well as else- where. It does not look as if infection by itself were a serious cause. 291. If there is dust, infection might play an important part?—Yes; but, on the other hand, the infection is universally present outside the mine. It is almost impossible to escape infection. In a public- house, for instance, tubercle bacilli are flying all over the place constantly. 292. And in the cottages where the miners live?—If there is a case of phthisis, that is so. A great many miners die of phthisis, but we could find no extra liability to phthisis among their wives and children, or very little. That is a very marked feature in Cornwall. 293. There was once an opinion that climbing ladders made a difference. Did you investigate that ? —That has been so in many mines in Cornwall, but in the most important mines ladders have been eliminated as a means of going to and from work, yet the phthisis at the time of this inquiry was worse than ever. 294. How far do you think insanitary conditions above ground would have to do with the production of phthisis ?—I think very little, or not at all. The death rate from other causes than phthisis is low amongst the Cornish miners. It has diminished very much during the last fifty years, as the general conditions have improved. 295. Do you think that gaseous impurity in the air underground can be adduced as a cause of phthisis ?— We came to the conclusion that had no influence, at any rate in this country. Gaseous impurity in Cornish mines, where there is a great deal of miners’ phthisis, is considerably less than in average coal mines or iron stone mines. 296. The gases are carbonic acid and carbonic oxide in Cornish mines ?—Carbonic acid and a deficiency of oxygen. It can be demonstrated by analysis. 297. There is very little carbonic oxide ?—Carbonic oxide has done very little harm in Cornish mines. We were not able to hear of any fatal case of carbonic oxide poisoning due to blasting, but it is a danger which is serious in the Transvaal mines, where they use larger quantities of dynamite in blasting. 298. What other gases are there produced from explosives that you can remember besides carbonic oxide and carbon monoxide, which are dangerous to health ?—Nitrous fumes are produced along with car- bonic oxide if the explosive does not detonate quite completely. If the dynamite bums up to any extent instead of exploding, it produces large quantities of nitrous fumes which are excessively dangerous. 299. Is there reason to believe that the miners’ phthisis you found depends to any large extent upon the explosives nsed in Cornish mines ?—It is certain, I think, it does not depend to the smallest extent on the use of explosives. 300. How about the C02, the carbonic acid, would that have any effect, or is that negligible ?—I think that is perfectly negligible. 301. As far as consumption is concerned ?—Yes. The presence of carbon dioxide in small quantities nsed to be considered, and is still considered by autho- rities a serious matter; but I am absolutely convinced
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