Hygiene and public health / by B. Arthur Whitelegge.

Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hygiene and public health / by B. Arthur Whitelegge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    Brickfields, cement-works, and lime-kilns emit carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, and sulphuretted hydrogen ; iron and copper furnaces give off much carbonic oxide. Copper works send out also sul- phurous and sulphuric acids. Alkali works formerly poured considerable quantities of hydrochloric acid into the air, but this has been to a great extent remedied. The fumes of phosphorus frequently cause necrosis of the lower jaw among makers of lucifer- matches. Bisulphide of carbon is used in india- rut)ber works, and is volatilised. From chemical works fumes of various kinds, notably sulphuretted hydrogen and amnionic sulphide, may be given off. Some of these emanations are, as already stated, definitely injurious to health. Others, such as alkali works and copper-smelting, are destructive to vegeta- tion for a considerable distance around, but no clear injury to health of surrounding residents has been made out. Brickfields and chemical works, though often most offensive, can scarcely be proved to act as direct causes of disease. 3, Organic effluvia.—Most of the multifarious trades concerned with animal products are liable to cause effluvia. Among them may be specially men- tioned manure works of all kinds; slaughterhouses and knackers' yards ; tanyards, fellmongers' works, and hide markets; bone-boiling or burning, glue and size works ; soap, oil, and tallow works; gut-scraping, or preparation of intestines for use as sausage-skins ; fish- curing. To this list may be added marine stores and the keeping of pigs, horses, cows, fowls, and other animals. Effluvia from such sources frequently constitute grave nuisances, but it is difficult to define their rela- tion to disease. Persons actually employed in these trades do not appear to suffer in health, but residents in the vicinity of the works frequently complain of