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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE IN MOSCOW.
882 end at her beautiful country house at Cormeilles." Dr. Packard is to be congratulated upon having provided English readers with specimens of the wit and satire to be found in Patin’s correspondence, and we hope that it will lead many to read the originals.
lessness of gas warfare, uses dialectical adroitness " Callinicus " is almost excessively. None the less, an arrangement of facts whose seriousness should not be impaired in the reader’s estimate by the exploiting of humorous gifts.
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE IN MOSCOW. CHEMICAL WARFARE : LEWISITE. IN the February issue of the Journal of Industrial IT is perhaps too much to expect that chemical warfare is a matter merely of historic interest, though Hygiene, which has only just reached us, an objective most of the medical profession will continue to hope account is given by A. Hamilton and R. Hilles of that the Washington Conference was but a beginning the hygiene of factories and workshops in Moscow. of a series of international debates which will in time Industrial medicine, it appears, has become a required bring about a material limitation of armaments and branch in the Russian medical curriculum, and of the more barbarous aspects of war. Such a wish is visits to factories are part of the prescribed work. enhanced by the study of recently published books, Moscow contains a wonderful Museum of Safety which put before us the main known facts concerning housed in the former palace of the Galitzin family, the poisonous substances which have been used, or one room of which is given over to anti-alcohol which are available, in warfare. Of such chemical propaganda ; normally, distilled liquors are forbidden substances the one which at present appears the most in the country. Efforts are made at institutes to potentially dangerous is an American invention fit the work to the man and the man to his work; popularly known as Lewisite. Much has been rumoured all sorts of physiological and psychological expericoncerning this compound, and headlines in the lay ments are carried out ; but in the factories themselves press have appeared from time to time of so dramatic little evidence exists yet of efforts to prevent The a nature that it appears worth while to repeat unnecessary fatigue or to increase efficiency. some of the more scientific data available to us. factories present extremes far wider than exist in These are to be found in a volume recently pub- America and Western Europe ; almost alongside lished by Lieut.-Colonel Edward B. Vedder, of the one another the best and worst possible conditions Medical Service of the United States army, who has of work are to be found. " The theory of Soviet " collated in an interesting book all the facts concerning Russia," the authors write, is that labour, industrial chemical warfare which are likely to be of use to and agricultural, is the foundation of the State and medical officers. Lewisite, or /3-chlorvinyldichlor- that the life of the industrial worker should centre arsine, is a heavy, oily liquid prepared by passing round the factory just as the life of the peasant acetylene through arsenic trichloride in the presence centres round the farm. Their ideal is to have in of aluminium chloride. It is readily hydrolysed by connexion with each factory not only communal water, especially in the presence of alkalis. Although houses but ’also a creche, a kindergarten, a hospital, its effects in actual warfare have never been tested it an amusement centre, and whatever else the workers Wages for men and women are appears to be a weapon of even greater efficacy than need and want." was dichlordiethylsulphide (" mustard gas "). The the sam’e for the same work, but the women seldom exposure of dogs to the vapours of this substance carry out the same work as the men. It is encouraging rapidly leads to intense irritation of the eyes, nose, to learn that industrial medicine is engaging the throat, and upper alimentary and respiratory tracts. service of some of the ablest men and women in Russia. A membranous exudate makes breathing difficult and painful, and if death is not produced within two BROKEN GLASS AS A POISON. days it usually ensues a few days afterwards from the A YEAR ago we commented on correspondence in purulent bronchitis and broncho-pneumonia which follow the initial respiratory lesions. on the subject of powdered or Municipal Engineering These effects of lewisite are not materially different broken glass as a " poison," and since that date a from those of mustard gas, where the exposure leads number of provincial newspapers have stressed the to fatal issue, but it is in its effects on the skin that it seriousness of particles of glass in bottled foods, chiefly appears likely to prove far more deadly if ever put jam. In one case reported a public analyst found that into use in warfare. The irritation and burning of 8 out of 11 samples of jam in glass containers lewisite appear very quickly after the application of showed the presence of particles of glass, and another the liquid substance to the skin, and even in com- analyst found 8 samples out of 49 to be similarly paratively minute doses sufficient of it is absorbed contaminated. According to these reports the Ministry to produce rapid death from arsenical poisoning. The of Health was making inquiries into the matter. lesions thus produced affect chiefly the tissues We certainly endorse the prevalent opinion that the is a serious one-powdered or broken glass immediately underlying the seat of burning, but the lungs and kidneys show toxic effects in all cases, and may cause serious symptoms and on occasion even arsenic can be recovered from practically every tissue death-and that every measure should be taken to of the body. When death is not produced the burns prevent the occurrence of glass in food. This state themselves tend to be of a most serious nature; of affairs could no doubt be greatly diminished by extensive necrosis of the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and the rejection of badly made containers and by destroyunderlying muscles occurs, leaving infected areas ing the food which when poured hot into glass conwhich can only heal slowly by granulation. The tainers causes the container to fly, instead of returning treatment of such injuries is believed to be it after straining to be reboiled and subsequently effected most satisfactorily by the application of weak poured into fresh containers-a practice common, we alkalis, such as 5 per cent. sodium hydroxide or a understand, among makers of cheaper brands of jam. ferric hydrate paste. Ideally better than such destruction would be the In view of the potential horrors of such weapons use of metal containers which possess additional the defence of the " humanity " of chemical warfare advantages when sterilisation and keeping qualities made by Colonel Vedder in his introduction seems are also considered, although it occasionally happens a little superfluous; but Mr. J. B. S. Haldane who that successful prosecutions are undertaken for the attempts a reasoned defence of chemical warfare in presence of tin in the food issued in tinned iron general on the grounds of the comparative harm- containers. But the public are conservative and would be likely to resent an innovation such as jam in 1 The Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare. By Edward B. Vedder, Lieut.-Colonel, M.C., U.S.A. London: Baillière, tins. So much is this the case that bottled fruit Tindall and Cox. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins. 1925. imported in tins may be transferred to bottles before 32s. 6d. sale. Nevertheless, whilst admitting fully the potential 2 Callinicus : a Defence of Chemical Warfare. By J. B. S. Haldane, Sir William Dunn Reader in Biochemistry, Cambridge dangers, we emphatically dissociate ourselves from University. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co. 1925. 1 THE LANCET, April 12th, 1924, p. 761.
I matter
lessness of gas warfare, uses dialectical adroitness " Callinicus " is almost excessively. None the less, an arrangement of facts whose seriousness should not be impaired in the reader’s estimate by the exploiting of humorous gifts.
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE IN MOSCOW. CHEMICAL WARFARE : LEWISITE. IN the February issue of the Journal of Industrial IT is perhaps too much to expect that chemical warfare is a matter merely of historic interest, though Hygiene, which has only just reached us, an objective most of the medical profession will continue to hope account is given by A. Hamilton and R. Hilles of that the Washington Conference was but a beginning the hygiene of factories and workshops in Moscow. of a series of international debates which will in time Industrial medicine, it appears, has become a required bring about a material limitation of armaments and branch in the Russian medical curriculum, and of the more barbarous aspects of war. Such a wish is visits to factories are part of the prescribed work. enhanced by the study of recently published books, Moscow contains a wonderful Museum of Safety which put before us the main known facts concerning housed in the former palace of the Galitzin family, the poisonous substances which have been used, or one room of which is given over to anti-alcohol which are available, in warfare. Of such chemical propaganda ; normally, distilled liquors are forbidden substances the one which at present appears the most in the country. Efforts are made at institutes to potentially dangerous is an American invention fit the work to the man and the man to his work; popularly known as Lewisite. Much has been rumoured all sorts of physiological and psychological expericoncerning this compound, and headlines in the lay ments are carried out ; but in the factories themselves press have appeared from time to time of so dramatic little evidence exists yet of efforts to prevent The a nature that it appears worth while to repeat unnecessary fatigue or to increase efficiency. some of the more scientific data available to us. factories present extremes far wider than exist in These are to be found in a volume recently pub- America and Western Europe ; almost alongside lished by Lieut.-Colonel Edward B. Vedder, of the one another the best and worst possible conditions Medical Service of the United States army, who has of work are to be found. " The theory of Soviet " collated in an interesting book all the facts concerning Russia," the authors write, is that labour, industrial chemical warfare which are likely to be of use to and agricultural, is the foundation of the State and medical officers. Lewisite, or /3-chlorvinyldichlor- that the life of the industrial worker should centre arsine, is a heavy, oily liquid prepared by passing round the factory just as the life of the peasant acetylene through arsenic trichloride in the presence centres round the farm. Their ideal is to have in of aluminium chloride. It is readily hydrolysed by connexion with each factory not only communal water, especially in the presence of alkalis. Although houses but ’also a creche, a kindergarten, a hospital, its effects in actual warfare have never been tested it an amusement centre, and whatever else the workers Wages for men and women are appears to be a weapon of even greater efficacy than need and want." was dichlordiethylsulphide (" mustard gas "). The the sam’e for the same work, but the women seldom exposure of dogs to the vapours of this substance carry out the same work as the men. It is encouraging rapidly leads to intense irritation of the eyes, nose, to learn that industrial medicine is engaging the throat, and upper alimentary and respiratory tracts. service of some of the ablest men and women in Russia. A membranous exudate makes breathing difficult and painful, and if death is not produced within two BROKEN GLASS AS A POISON. days it usually ensues a few days afterwards from the A YEAR ago we commented on correspondence in purulent bronchitis and broncho-pneumonia which follow the initial respiratory lesions. on the subject of powdered or Municipal Engineering These effects of lewisite are not materially different broken glass as a " poison," and since that date a from those of mustard gas, where the exposure leads number of provincial newspapers have stressed the to fatal issue, but it is in its effects on the skin that it seriousness of particles of glass in bottled foods, chiefly appears likely to prove far more deadly if ever put jam. In one case reported a public analyst found that into use in warfare. The irritation and burning of 8 out of 11 samples of jam in glass containers lewisite appear very quickly after the application of showed the presence of particles of glass, and another the liquid substance to the skin, and even in com- analyst found 8 samples out of 49 to be similarly paratively minute doses sufficient of it is absorbed contaminated. According to these reports the Ministry to produce rapid death from arsenical poisoning. The of Health was making inquiries into the matter. lesions thus produced affect chiefly the tissues We certainly endorse the prevalent opinion that the is a serious one-powdered or broken glass immediately underlying the seat of burning, but the lungs and kidneys show toxic effects in all cases, and may cause serious symptoms and on occasion even arsenic can be recovered from practically every tissue death-and that every measure should be taken to of the body. When death is not produced the burns prevent the occurrence of glass in food. This state themselves tend to be of a most serious nature; of affairs could no doubt be greatly diminished by extensive necrosis of the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and the rejection of badly made containers and by destroyunderlying muscles occurs, leaving infected areas ing the food which when poured hot into glass conwhich can only heal slowly by granulation. The tainers causes the container to fly, instead of returning treatment of such injuries is believed to be it after straining to be reboiled and subsequently effected most satisfactorily by the application of weak poured into fresh containers-a practice common, we alkalis, such as 5 per cent. sodium hydroxide or a understand, among makers of cheaper brands of jam. ferric hydrate paste. Ideally better than such destruction would be the In view of the potential horrors of such weapons use of metal containers which possess additional the defence of the " humanity " of chemical warfare advantages when sterilisation and keeping qualities made by Colonel Vedder in his introduction seems are also considered, although it occasionally happens a little superfluous; but Mr. J. B. S. Haldane who that successful prosecutions are undertaken for the attempts a reasoned defence of chemical warfare in presence of tin in the food issued in tinned iron general on the grounds of the comparative harm- containers. But the public are conservative and would be likely to resent an innovation such as jam in 1 The Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare. By Edward B. Vedder, Lieut.-Colonel, M.C., U.S.A. London: Baillière, tins. So much is this the case that bottled fruit Tindall and Cox. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins. 1925. imported in tins may be transferred to bottles before 32s. 6d. sale. Nevertheless, whilst admitting fully the potential 2 Callinicus : a Defence of Chemical Warfare. By J. B. S. Haldane, Sir William Dunn Reader in Biochemistry, Cambridge dangers, we emphatically dissociate ourselves from University. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co. 1925. 1 THE LANCET, April 12th, 1924, p. 761.
I matter