A study of chronic mercurialism in the hatters' fur-cutting industry / From the Division of Industrial Hygiene, Senior Surgeon R.R. Sayers, medical officer in charge. Medical studies by: Paul A. Neal, P.A. surgeon, Roy R. Jones, P.A. surgeon. Engineering studies by: J.J. Bloomfield, P.A. sanitary engineer, J.M. Dallaville, P.A. sanitary engineer. Statistical analysis by: Thomas I. Edwards, technical editor. Prepared by direction of the Surgeon General.

United States Public Health Service

Date:: 1937

Credit: A study of chronic mercurialism in the hatters' fur-cutting industry / From the Division of Industrial Hygiene, Senior Surgeon R.R. Sayers, medical officer in charge. Medical studies by: Paul A. Neal, P.A. surgeon, Roy R. Jones, P.A. surgeon. Engineering studies by: J.J. Bloomfield, P.A. sanitary engineer, J.M. Dallaville, P.A. sanitary engineer. Statistical analysis by: Thomas I. Edwards, technical editor. Prepared by direction of the Surgeon General. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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9 Exposure of workers to mercury vapor usually begins with the piling operations. The chemical reaction which takes place subse- quent to the application of mercury nitrate to raw fur and which releases mercury vapor is not definitely known. It is believed, how- ever, that the reaction is somewhat as follows: Fur+He(NO;),+HNO;—Keratin nitrate + HgO'N,O; [Fur+HgO-N,O;]+ H,.O-Hg-+ Fur oxide+2HNO; Fur+ HNO,—Keratin nitrate. The reaction is slow, but it is well known that more mercury vapor is given off as the carroted fur becomes older. The action of mercury nitrate in altering the physical characteristics of fur is also not clearly understood. The general opinion prevails in the fur-cutting industry that the carroted hair tips are rendered flexible and thus, when matted together in the presence of moisture, they enmesh themselves, forming a firm felt. Brushing.—The piled skins are sent as needed to the brushing de- partment. After treatment with carrot, the fur is matted and ir- regular and must be smoothed. This is done by brushers who hold each skin against a stiff, revolving brush. The operation is usually Cutting and sorting—Cutting and sorting constitute the third major step in the preparation of hatters’ fur. The brushed pelts are taken to cutting machines which shear the fur from the skin. This work, usually done by men, consists in feeding pelts, one by one, to blades revolving at high speed which shear the fur and at the same time cut the skin into shreds (fig. 12). The sheared fur passes on a conveying belt, or on trays, to the sorters, who remove scraps of skin from the cut fur. Cutting operations produce large amounts of dust and consequently the floors must be swept frequently to remove the accumulated waste. The shredded skins drop into a compart- ment below the shearing knives and are collected in burlap bags and baled. Sorting is a sedentary occupation employing girls. The work con- sists of manipulating the cut fur which has been placed on a flat tin tray and removing the scraps of skin which have been sheared by the cutter (fig. 13). The fur which has been freed of these scraps is placed in a paper bag and the waste is reclaimed by either of two methods described later in this report. Each sorter fills the bag assigned to her to a weight of 5 pounds. The bags are then tied up and sent to the storage room (fig. 14). Reclaaming.—Small scraps of fur recovered either in the opening or sorting operations, or which have been purchased from furriers, are first chopped into small pieces and then treated in one of two ways. The pieces may be glued by pasters or stickers to strips of manila

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