Report of Board appointed to inquire into the prevalence and prevention of lead poisoning at the Broken Hill silver-lead mines to the Honourable the Minister for Mines and Agriculture.

  • New South Wales. Legislative Council.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of Board appointed to inquire into the prevalence and prevention of lead poisoning at the Broken Hill silver-lead mines to the Honourable the Minister for Mines and Agriculture. 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.

    124/162 (page 88)
    Mr. J. Cogan. 3075. Tou consider the Tentilation of the feed-floor there about as good as it can be? Tes. 1 7't'*~'*~ToqQ You think the new furnaces are very much better protected in that way than the old ones ? Yes. 7 Jan., lo9d. 3077 (^^u you, of your own knowledge, state that there was any more sickness on the old furnaces than on the new ? I believe there was more sickness on the old. 3078. Are you acquainted with any of the underground men ? No ; not many. 3079. Ifr. Samlet.^ Are you a married man? No. 3080. How do you live ;—do you live at a boarding-house, or house of your own ? I live in a house of my own, but board at a boarding-house. 3081. How far is the boarding-house from your house ? Only a few yards. 3082. And then, starting off in the morning, you go off in your working clothes, do you not ? Yes. 3083. And when you come home again, do you change those clothes ? Yes. 3084. Before you have your meals ? Yes. 3085. That has been your habit always ? Yes. 3086. What is the size of your house ? Ten feet by 12 feet. 3087. Made of wood ? Wood and canvas. 3088. Have you any water supply of your own? No ; I get it from the boarding-house. 3089. What do you do for water ? I get it from the boarding-house. 3090. Carry it for yourself ? Yes. 3091. You carry the water, and wash yourself in your own house? Yes. 3092. Do you know, for a fact, that there are certain regulations or instructions given to every man to regulate himself, so as to prevent sickness or prevent lead poisoning? I believe they were posted at the Proprietary office one time. 309.3. Do you know them yourself ? No. 3094. Suppose you were to go into another district, say to America, and you were going on to a very bad mine, would you know what to do to try and prevent leading? No ; I might eat lemons and drink milk. 3095. Have you ever heard that milk is a good thing ? Yes. 3096. Do you know, from your knowledge, that the men use milk ? Yes. Some milk-men come on to the floor, and we have a pint of milk occasionally. 3097. What do you drink ? I drink milk. 3098. And what is it;—where do you get it ? The milk-man brings it round. 3099. To your house, or to the boarding-house ? To the floor. 3100. The milk-man goes up to the mine ? Yes. 3101. And what do you pay for a pint ? Threepence. 3102. Do you know anything about concentrated milk? A little ; I do not like it. 3103. What is the milk you generally have ? Cow's milk. 3104. Good milk? Yes. 3105. Do many men besides yourself use the milk ? Yes. 3106. And they all seem to know that it is a good thing ? Yes. 3107. Where do you keep your tucker when you go on duty ? Generally, I have got a small box. 3108. You try to keep it out of the dust ? Yes. 3109. Is there any rule against smoking on the premises ? No. 3110. Any man can smoke ? Yes. 3111. Chairman.'] You think it better to keep your crib in a box than to follow the other plan of keeping it in paper in your pocket? 1 do not know whether it is better. 3112. You do that in preference ? Yes. 3113. Does anybody else ? Yes. 3114. How many times a day do you drink milk ? Once. 3115. Mr. Hamlet.'] Once during a shift ? Yes. 3116. Ghairman.] You get milk on each shift? Not on the night shift, but in the day and afternoon shift. 3117. Have you ever heard anybody say that it was desirable that milk taken for the purpose of preventing lead-poisoning, should be taken before you go to work—that is, before you begin your work ? No. 3118. Do you use the new baths at all? Yes. 3119. Do many men use them ? Yes ; crowds of them use them. 3120. Do they like them ? Yes ; they enjoy them. 3121. They are very glad of them ? Yes. 3122. There is hot water, is there not ? I have not seen it. 3123. Mr. Howell.] There is no need for hot water at present, but the connections arc all ready for it when it is wanted in the cold weather. [The Chairman examined witness, who showed a good deal of redness of gums, and a slight black line on the front teeth, otherwise he appeared to be perfectly well.] [The witness withdrew.] Mr. J. Seymore called and examined :— Mr. 3124. Ghairman.] What is your name ? J. Seymore. ^ J. Seymore. 3125. What is your occupation ? I belong to the smelters. ' ' 3126. Mr. Howell] You are a feeder ? Yes. 17 Jan., 1893. 3^27. YoT the Broken Hill Proprietary Company ? Yes. 3128. How long have you been employed ? Four years the 4th of this mouth. 3129. Have you been a feeder all the time ? No. 3130. What did you start at first ? Wheeling. 3131. Charge wheeling ? Yes. 3132. You have been on the upper floor all the time ? Yes. 3133. You were never down below? No. 3134. How long were you charge-wheeling ? Three years. 3135. And then promoted to feeder ? Yes. 3136.