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Air Tests in Humid Cotton Weaving Sheds
September, 1904]
Reviews
803
Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act of 1894. The duty of enforcing the conditions attached to such licenses, from January 1st, 1904, rests with the local authorities. The number of children respecting whose employment licenses were receiv~.d during 1903 was 722, as compared with 623 in 1902 and 238 in 1901. Irregularities were found in 20 instances, and the managers were cautioned. A revised memorandum to District Councils was issued from the Home Office in April, 1903, and was followed in May by a further circular dealing specially with underground bakehouses. :~kIR TESTS IN HUMID COTTON WEAVING SHEDS. By Frank Scudder, F.I.C. Report presented to Parliament [Cd. 2135]. Price 3d. After detailing the history of legislation governing humid cotton cloth factories, and quoting the conclusions of Dr. Haldane and Mr. Osborn t Cd. 1302], Mr. Scudder points out that the statutory limit of 9 parts of carbonic acid per 10,000 of air makes no provision for variation in the proportion of carbonic acid in fresh air. This is usually assumed to be about 4 per 10,000, leaving a margin of about 5 per 10,000 for respiratory impurity. Under certain atmospheric conditions, however, considerably more than 4 per 10,000 is found in the open air, so that mechanical ventilation adequate to maintain the standard in ordinary weather may from time to time fail to do so unless the installation is so planned as to a~[ord at ordinary times a result far below 9. I t has, therefore, been the practice of the Department, with the assent of the employers and operatives, to regard the air of a weaving shed as, substantially conforming to the standard if the proportion of carbonic acid does not exceed that in the open air by more than 5 parts per 10,000. The reasonableness of this practice is confirmed by the present Report. Three out of the five instances of excess over nine are seen to have been due to an abnormal proportio~ of carbonic acid in the outside air ; the added carbonic acid due to respiratory impurity, which ventilation is designed to remove, being well within the intended limit. Under the 1889 Act, and still more under the stricter requirements of the Order of 1898, now included in the Act of 1901, great improvements have been ef[ected in the ventilation of humid cotton weaving sheds, and some of these are now among the best ventilated factories, with corresponding advantage to the health of the operatives and to the efficiency of their work. I t will be seen from the present Report that good results have been attained by more than one system. In the experienc of the Department there has been substantial conformity with the " nine" standard in daylight, where a properly planned installation has been made and has received due attention. I t has, however, been contended by manufacturers that while it is practicable to conform generally to the standard, it is not practicable to maintain it at z,ll times in all parts of every shed, as the terms of the statute require ; and that, as a matter of experience, with approved appliances and with every reasonable care in their use, there are occasional and unavoidable instances of excess over the statutory limit, even when interpreted as above. In view of this, of the provisions of section 7 of the Act of 1901 (cited above), of the suggestions of the Ventilation Committee, and of the pending question of chemical standards of ventilation for other classes of factories and workshops, the Home Secretary decided that an enquiry should be made by an independent chemist, and an undertaking was given by the manufacturers that if the result of the inquiry was to show that the statutory restriction upon the amount of carbon dioxide could be
804
Reviews
[Public :Health
observed they would accept the situation without further question, and make every effort to comply with the requirement. It was desired by the Home Office, with the concurrence of the manufacUurers, that the operatives should be associated in the inquiry; but the invitation was declined by the operatives, on the ground that n~ condition was made as to increasing the stringency of the standard if the results should show a still higher degree of purity of air to be practicable. Thirty sheds were selected by the Home Office, and, in all, 287 tests were made. Of these 282 complied with the standard of 9 volumes of carbon dioxide per 10,000 vnlumes of air, and only 5 (from 2 sheds) infringed this standard ; one of the 5 just exceeded the limit 9"1. Dr. Whitelegge calls attention to the fact that in the great majority of cases the proportion of carbonic dioxide was far below that allowed by either limit. Comparative analyses of outside air were made~ and the results are recorded in the tables. The CO~ in the air of the sheds exceeded that in the outside air by more than 5 parts per 10,000 o~ air in only 9 determinations affecting 7 sheds; the highest figures being 5"4 (shed 5, List C, Table 7) and 5"2 (shed 11, List B, Table 6, and shed 4, List C, Table 7). In no other instance ou~ of the 287 tests was the difference greater than 5"1, and, as explained in Table 3 (shed 6, List A), the conditions associated with two of the 5"1 results were exceptional. It appears, therefore, that installations planned and carried out by competent engineers to keep the air of a shed within the prescribed limit do in practice fully maintain the standard, notwithstanding inequalities due to local or accidental circumstances, provided that the appliances are kept in proper order and used to the full extent intended, and that their adequacy or efficiency is not impaired by subsequent alterations in structure or arrangement. This report amply justifies the protest which has been made against any lower standard of ventilation being sanctioned by the Home Office for factories and workshops generally. INFECTION AND I~:MUNIT¥, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PREVENTION
OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. By George 1~I. Sternberg, M.D., LL.D., Surgeon-General U. S. Army (Retired). Large 8vo, cloth, pp. 293. Price 6s. net. London : John Murray. In this volume, one of the Progressive Science Series, the author has stated the main ~acts, so far as they have been established, with reference to infection and immunity, with the practical object of indicating the measures necessary for the prevention of infectious diseases. As the work is intended for non-medical readers, the use of technical terms has been avoided as far as practicable, and when it has been necessary to use them, explanation of them is given. Wisely no attempt has been made to give an account of recent mvestlgatmn with reference to Ehrlic i s side-chain theory, for the subject is not one which lends itself to popular treatment. The author has been successful in dealing with his subject, and the only fault we can find is that his figures and examples are chiefly of American origin, which may not appeal so strongly to British readers, but this is rather the fault of the Editor of the Series. However, it may be that he expects the larger number of readers to be " o n the other side." Anyhow we echo the wish oi the author that this volume may serve as a text-book in our high schools and colleges. The diffusion of such knowledge cannot fail to promote the health interests of the people. The chapters on Disinfection are clear and practical, and the second part of the book is occupied with a consideration of the more important communicable diseases.
Reviews
803
Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act of 1894. The duty of enforcing the conditions attached to such licenses, from January 1st, 1904, rests with the local authorities. The number of children respecting whose employment licenses were receiv~.d during 1903 was 722, as compared with 623 in 1902 and 238 in 1901. Irregularities were found in 20 instances, and the managers were cautioned. A revised memorandum to District Councils was issued from the Home Office in April, 1903, and was followed in May by a further circular dealing specially with underground bakehouses. :~kIR TESTS IN HUMID COTTON WEAVING SHEDS. By Frank Scudder, F.I.C. Report presented to Parliament [Cd. 2135]. Price 3d. After detailing the history of legislation governing humid cotton cloth factories, and quoting the conclusions of Dr. Haldane and Mr. Osborn t Cd. 1302], Mr. Scudder points out that the statutory limit of 9 parts of carbonic acid per 10,000 of air makes no provision for variation in the proportion of carbonic acid in fresh air. This is usually assumed to be about 4 per 10,000, leaving a margin of about 5 per 10,000 for respiratory impurity. Under certain atmospheric conditions, however, considerably more than 4 per 10,000 is found in the open air, so that mechanical ventilation adequate to maintain the standard in ordinary weather may from time to time fail to do so unless the installation is so planned as to a~[ord at ordinary times a result far below 9. I t has, therefore, been the practice of the Department, with the assent of the employers and operatives, to regard the air of a weaving shed as, substantially conforming to the standard if the proportion of carbonic acid does not exceed that in the open air by more than 5 parts per 10,000. The reasonableness of this practice is confirmed by the present Report. Three out of the five instances of excess over nine are seen to have been due to an abnormal proportio~ of carbonic acid in the outside air ; the added carbonic acid due to respiratory impurity, which ventilation is designed to remove, being well within the intended limit. Under the 1889 Act, and still more under the stricter requirements of the Order of 1898, now included in the Act of 1901, great improvements have been ef[ected in the ventilation of humid cotton weaving sheds, and some of these are now among the best ventilated factories, with corresponding advantage to the health of the operatives and to the efficiency of their work. I t will be seen from the present Report that good results have been attained by more than one system. In the experienc of the Department there has been substantial conformity with the " nine" standard in daylight, where a properly planned installation has been made and has received due attention. I t has, however, been contended by manufacturers that while it is practicable to conform generally to the standard, it is not practicable to maintain it at z,ll times in all parts of every shed, as the terms of the statute require ; and that, as a matter of experience, with approved appliances and with every reasonable care in their use, there are occasional and unavoidable instances of excess over the statutory limit, even when interpreted as above. In view of this, of the provisions of section 7 of the Act of 1901 (cited above), of the suggestions of the Ventilation Committee, and of the pending question of chemical standards of ventilation for other classes of factories and workshops, the Home Secretary decided that an enquiry should be made by an independent chemist, and an undertaking was given by the manufacturers that if the result of the inquiry was to show that the statutory restriction upon the amount of carbon dioxide could be
804
Reviews
[Public :Health
observed they would accept the situation without further question, and make every effort to comply with the requirement. It was desired by the Home Office, with the concurrence of the manufacUurers, that the operatives should be associated in the inquiry; but the invitation was declined by the operatives, on the ground that n~ condition was made as to increasing the stringency of the standard if the results should show a still higher degree of purity of air to be practicable. Thirty sheds were selected by the Home Office, and, in all, 287 tests were made. Of these 282 complied with the standard of 9 volumes of carbon dioxide per 10,000 vnlumes of air, and only 5 (from 2 sheds) infringed this standard ; one of the 5 just exceeded the limit 9"1. Dr. Whitelegge calls attention to the fact that in the great majority of cases the proportion of carbonic dioxide was far below that allowed by either limit. Comparative analyses of outside air were made~ and the results are recorded in the tables. The CO~ in the air of the sheds exceeded that in the outside air by more than 5 parts per 10,000 o~ air in only 9 determinations affecting 7 sheds; the highest figures being 5"4 (shed 5, List C, Table 7) and 5"2 (shed 11, List B, Table 6, and shed 4, List C, Table 7). In no other instance ou~ of the 287 tests was the difference greater than 5"1, and, as explained in Table 3 (shed 6, List A), the conditions associated with two of the 5"1 results were exceptional. It appears, therefore, that installations planned and carried out by competent engineers to keep the air of a shed within the prescribed limit do in practice fully maintain the standard, notwithstanding inequalities due to local or accidental circumstances, provided that the appliances are kept in proper order and used to the full extent intended, and that their adequacy or efficiency is not impaired by subsequent alterations in structure or arrangement. This report amply justifies the protest which has been made against any lower standard of ventilation being sanctioned by the Home Office for factories and workshops generally. INFECTION AND I~:MUNIT¥, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PREVENTION
OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. By George 1~I. Sternberg, M.D., LL.D., Surgeon-General U. S. Army (Retired). Large 8vo, cloth, pp. 293. Price 6s. net. London : John Murray. In this volume, one of the Progressive Science Series, the author has stated the main ~acts, so far as they have been established, with reference to infection and immunity, with the practical object of indicating the measures necessary for the prevention of infectious diseases. As the work is intended for non-medical readers, the use of technical terms has been avoided as far as practicable, and when it has been necessary to use them, explanation of them is given. Wisely no attempt has been made to give an account of recent mvestlgatmn with reference to Ehrlic i s side-chain theory, for the subject is not one which lends itself to popular treatment. The author has been successful in dealing with his subject, and the only fault we can find is that his figures and examples are chiefly of American origin, which may not appeal so strongly to British readers, but this is rather the fault of the Editor of the Series. However, it may be that he expects the larger number of readers to be " o n the other side." Anyhow we echo the wish oi the author that this volume may serve as a text-book in our high schools and colleges. The diffusion of such knowledge cannot fail to promote the health interests of the people. The chapters on Disinfection are clear and practical, and the second part of the book is occupied with a consideration of the more important communicable diseases.