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
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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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    The formation of these blackened areas has been attributed to the acid spray arising during the carroting process. Carroters’ finger and thumb nails were brown or black. Nine carroters had chronic bursitis, with callus formation over the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger where the straps securing the brush to the hand passed over the knuckle. All these conditions were so characteristic of carroters that their occupation could usually be guessed from these signs alone. Mention should be made of characteristic calluses observed on the hands and forearms of cutters and openers. Because cutters rest their forearms on the table while feeding pelts to the cutting machine the upper third or upper half of the extensor surface of the forearms was red, dry, and indurated. Seven cutters were so affected. In one case there was a small, subcutaneous, circumscribed, soft mass in this area simulating a chronic bursitis. Two openers had thick calluses on the flexor surface of the right index finger caused by the knife used in opening skins. INFLUENCE OF FUR DUST ON HEALTH The data on atmospheric dust concentrations presented in table 7 were used in‘an attempt to find out whether or not a direct relation existed between dust exposure and certain disorders of the respiratory tract and the mucous membranes. The occupational groups were arranged in order of their dustiness and the percentages of the workers in each occupation who were afflicted with a specific disorder were tabulated and plotted in the same order. Dust concentration and incidence of these physical defects did not vary concomitantly when inflamed conjunctiva, inflamed nasal mucous membranes, gingivitis, discolored oral mucous membranes, and lung pathology demonstrable by the standard methods of physical examination or with X-ray equipment were studied in this way. One occupational group, how- ever, the blowers, had a high incidence of each of these disorders. Besides being exposed to high dust concentrations the blowers are also exposed to high concentrations of mercury vapor, as shown in table 30. HEALTH OF WOMEN IN THE FUR-CUTTING INDUSTRY Two occupations, the opening of the pelts and the sorting of cut fur are carried on almost exclusively by women, and a third occupa- tion, skin sorting, is also carried on largely by women, as table 5 shows. In the five fur-cutting factories studied, 92.3 percent of the women are employed in these three occupations. Opening the pelts and sorting of skins, in which 40 women (17.1 percent) are engaged, precede the application of the carroting solution containing mercury