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MINERAL SUBSTANCES IN DRESS MATERIALS.
1186 0-20 ounce; from material No. 10, 3-84 pounds and the weight of the mineral matter 0’12 ounce; from material No. 11, four pounds and the weight of the mineral matter 0 08 ounce ; from material No. 12, 3 7 pounds and the weight of the mineral matter 5’3 ounces. Of the foregoing specimens Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10 were fairly thick dress materials. Nos. 4 and 9 were cotton lining, No. 8 was Turkey red twill, while Nos. 11 and 12 were flannel. The specimens which yielded mineral sub-
specially trained officers and men, and looking back to the excellent work which they were the means of our doing during last year’s Nile campaign there is great satisfaction amongst the medical officers at their being within easy reach of these valuable accessories to military surgery.
MINERAL SUBSTANCES IN DRESS MATERIALS.
stances claiming special attention were No. 2, a material of a fawn colour which was loaded with chromium ; No. 6, of a lighter shade but a similar cloth, contained the same metal in very important amount; No. 4, a lavender-coloured cotton lining contained zinc and iron; No. 8, which was Turkey twill, used sometimes for making bathing dresses, contained tin and magnesia; and lastly, No. 12, which yielded an enormous amount of mineral matter, was a pink flannel and proved to be loaded with magnesium chiefly in the form of
purity of clothing is a requirement of the utmost importance. Dress materials may be injurious because of irritating or toxic substances contained in them or they may be unhealthy because they impede the healthy action of the ’skin. It has often been supposed that highly dyed fabrics are responsible for dermatitis or even for the poisoning of the sulphate. Some of system. Instances of blood-poisoning have occurred from flannel and THE
these materials-as, for
example, linings and Turkey twill-may obviously be worn next to
time to time which would appear to have been set up the skin, and should the mineral substances prove to be by the presence of an injurious dye in a stocking. Certain injurious mischief might be caused in this way. Ift may be of the dyes are indeed poisonous, but there is reason for pointed out, however, that the action of mineral substances believing that these are seldom now employed for dress may easily be accentuated under the solvent influence materials and especially those which are worn next to the of perspiration. It is a matter of common observation skin. While, however, dyes may not be injurious per se, yet that the colour of a dress fabric though insoluble in - certain poisonous agents such as mordants may be used water"runs"readily when moistened with perspiration. in their preparation. A mordant is a base employed for Doubtless these metallic salts, with the exception of the precipitation and fixing of the dye. Thus arsenic magnesia, which occurred mainly in the form of sulphate, is largely used in colour making and dyeing and are contained in the dress fabric in an insoluble state. arsenic has been found in small quantity in coloured There is reason to believe that perspiration would dissolve dress fabrics. Salts of tin, antimony, and aluminium out this mineral matter and thus form a corrosive fluid which are used for a similar purpose. According to our ex- might very likely lead to injury to the skin. It is even based on the examination of some possible that the corrosive salts of zinc, tin, and magnesium, however, perience, ’typical dress materials purchased for the purpose during the such as the chlorides, may be formed. The rotting action of last six months, arsenic can seldom be detected in them perspiration on flannel is in particular well known and it is - even in the minutest quantity. This is a very satisfactory very probable that this is largely due to the formation of result and is doubtless owing to public attention having been corrosive salts produced by perspiration acting on the mineral substances present in varying but significant provery vigorously directed to the matter some years ago. We purchased 12 different pieces of dress materials portions in dress materials. Turkey twill is frequently used at different large drapery establishments in London. for making bathing costumes and according to our experiThey varied in price from 6 3/4d. to 4s. 6d. per yard and ments the material which we examined contained both tin and comprised all shades of colour. Not one of these speci- magnesium. The chlorides of these metals are highly corto contain arsenic but in the course rosive and the salts in sea-water are calculated to combine mens proved of the investigation other substances which may be with these metals to form the chlorides. It would thus appear from these experiments, which estabregarded as distinctly foreign to pure material disclosed themselves. The question remains whether these substances: lished the presence in some instances of a comparatively large of a mineral character can possibly act injuriously upon&verba; amount of irritant mineral substances, that not all dress the health of the person who wears them. Certainly|. materials are free from reproach as possible sources of injury to they occur in the fabric in a quantity which on hygienic: health, and further, the presence of mineral substances tends grounds cannot be ignored, and their character in some in- to nullify the important properties of clothing of keeping the stances cannot be regarded as entirely innocent. Amongst the body warm and protecting it from the cold, and, above all, .substances found were zinc, aluminium, chromium, tin, mag- of allowing a free passage of air from within and without. nesium, and iron. The mineral matter obtained on completelyr It is surprising to find such a range of metallic substances in burning the cloth consisted practically entirely of one or: the dress materials of every-day wear, and the quantities other of these metallic compounds. The total amount rangedl found are no less a revelation. from 0 06 per cent. to as much as 9 per cent. Assuming thatt -THE LANCET Laboratory. on the average some 10 to 12 yards of material of 11/4 yards ±_. -width are used in making up a dress, or in making the lining of a dress, then approximately 14 square yards of material HEALTH OF BELFAST IN 1898. would be employed. The weight of this dress, according to the size of the material, would vary from three to ten pounds and the mineral matter contained in it from one-tenth of an DR. WHITAKER (medical superintendent officer of health - ounce to as much as nearly six ounces. for Belfast) has just issued his annual report for the year We append the actual weights of 14 square yards of and it is a very interesting document, although full of material in the cases of 12 typical pieces of cloth calculated 1898, the of an outbreak of typhoid fever little creditable to details upon weighing specimens four inches square. The weight a modern city as Belfast. such of the dress as the case it (or lining, may be), assuming - of ç *reached the dimensions already laid down, made from During the year 1898 there were 7768 deaths in Belfast material No. 1, would be seven pounds and the weight and 11,234 births. Of the deaths registered, 2702 (or nearly of the ash 0’32 ounce; from material No. 2, just over one-third) were attributed to diseases of the respiratory .nine pounds and the weight of the mineral matter slightly organs and phthisis (more than one-quarter occurring from over two ounces; from material No. 3, six pounds and the former and more than one-seventh from the latter). A the weight of the mineral matter 0 28 ounce ; from mortality of 1044 from phthisis is appalling, and in addition material No. 4, 3’77 pounds and the weight of the mineral to want of ventilation and insanitary conditions the heavy matter 0’81 ounce; from material No. 5, four pounds impervious soil and the moisture of the air are contributory .and the weight of the mineral matter 0 04 ounce; causes of this fell disease in Belfast. Of the zymotic diseases, from material No. 6, 8’58 pounds and the weight of out of a total of 7836 cases notified during the year 5136, or the mineral matter 166 ounces; from material No. 7, nearly two of every three of the total, were due to typhoid 6 73 pounds and the weight of the mineral matter 0’12 fever and the deaths from this preventable disease were 640. ounce; from material No. 8, 4 9 pounds and the weight of While typhus fever was formerly so common in Ireland and the mineral matter 2 06 ounces; from material No. 9, while in Belfast, as in other parts of the country, it seems to ’2-7 pounds and the weight of the mineral matter be dying out, as only 18 cases were notified during 1898, and .
.
specially trained officers and men, and looking back to the excellent work which they were the means of our doing during last year’s Nile campaign there is great satisfaction amongst the medical officers at their being within easy reach of these valuable accessories to military surgery.
MINERAL SUBSTANCES IN DRESS MATERIALS.
stances claiming special attention were No. 2, a material of a fawn colour which was loaded with chromium ; No. 6, of a lighter shade but a similar cloth, contained the same metal in very important amount; No. 4, a lavender-coloured cotton lining contained zinc and iron; No. 8, which was Turkey twill, used sometimes for making bathing dresses, contained tin and magnesia; and lastly, No. 12, which yielded an enormous amount of mineral matter, was a pink flannel and proved to be loaded with magnesium chiefly in the form of
purity of clothing is a requirement of the utmost importance. Dress materials may be injurious because of irritating or toxic substances contained in them or they may be unhealthy because they impede the healthy action of the ’skin. It has often been supposed that highly dyed fabrics are responsible for dermatitis or even for the poisoning of the sulphate. Some of system. Instances of blood-poisoning have occurred from flannel and THE
these materials-as, for
example, linings and Turkey twill-may obviously be worn next to
time to time which would appear to have been set up the skin, and should the mineral substances prove to be by the presence of an injurious dye in a stocking. Certain injurious mischief might be caused in this way. Ift may be of the dyes are indeed poisonous, but there is reason for pointed out, however, that the action of mineral substances believing that these are seldom now employed for dress may easily be accentuated under the solvent influence materials and especially those which are worn next to the of perspiration. It is a matter of common observation skin. While, however, dyes may not be injurious per se, yet that the colour of a dress fabric though insoluble in - certain poisonous agents such as mordants may be used water"runs"readily when moistened with perspiration. in their preparation. A mordant is a base employed for Doubtless these metallic salts, with the exception of the precipitation and fixing of the dye. Thus arsenic magnesia, which occurred mainly in the form of sulphate, is largely used in colour making and dyeing and are contained in the dress fabric in an insoluble state. arsenic has been found in small quantity in coloured There is reason to believe that perspiration would dissolve dress fabrics. Salts of tin, antimony, and aluminium out this mineral matter and thus form a corrosive fluid which are used for a similar purpose. According to our ex- might very likely lead to injury to the skin. It is even based on the examination of some possible that the corrosive salts of zinc, tin, and magnesium, however, perience, ’typical dress materials purchased for the purpose during the such as the chlorides, may be formed. The rotting action of last six months, arsenic can seldom be detected in them perspiration on flannel is in particular well known and it is - even in the minutest quantity. This is a very satisfactory very probable that this is largely due to the formation of result and is doubtless owing to public attention having been corrosive salts produced by perspiration acting on the mineral substances present in varying but significant provery vigorously directed to the matter some years ago. We purchased 12 different pieces of dress materials portions in dress materials. Turkey twill is frequently used at different large drapery establishments in London. for making bathing costumes and according to our experiThey varied in price from 6 3/4d. to 4s. 6d. per yard and ments the material which we examined contained both tin and comprised all shades of colour. Not one of these speci- magnesium. The chlorides of these metals are highly corto contain arsenic but in the course rosive and the salts in sea-water are calculated to combine mens proved of the investigation other substances which may be with these metals to form the chlorides. It would thus appear from these experiments, which estabregarded as distinctly foreign to pure material disclosed themselves. The question remains whether these substances: lished the presence in some instances of a comparatively large of a mineral character can possibly act injuriously upon&verba; amount of irritant mineral substances, that not all dress the health of the person who wears them. Certainly|. materials are free from reproach as possible sources of injury to they occur in the fabric in a quantity which on hygienic: health, and further, the presence of mineral substances tends grounds cannot be ignored, and their character in some in- to nullify the important properties of clothing of keeping the stances cannot be regarded as entirely innocent. Amongst the body warm and protecting it from the cold, and, above all, .substances found were zinc, aluminium, chromium, tin, mag- of allowing a free passage of air from within and without. nesium, and iron. The mineral matter obtained on completelyr It is surprising to find such a range of metallic substances in burning the cloth consisted practically entirely of one or: the dress materials of every-day wear, and the quantities other of these metallic compounds. The total amount rangedl found are no less a revelation. from 0 06 per cent. to as much as 9 per cent. Assuming thatt -THE LANCET Laboratory. on the average some 10 to 12 yards of material of 11/4 yards ±_. -width are used in making up a dress, or in making the lining of a dress, then approximately 14 square yards of material HEALTH OF BELFAST IN 1898. would be employed. The weight of this dress, according to the size of the material, would vary from three to ten pounds and the mineral matter contained in it from one-tenth of an DR. WHITAKER (medical superintendent officer of health - ounce to as much as nearly six ounces. for Belfast) has just issued his annual report for the year We append the actual weights of 14 square yards of and it is a very interesting document, although full of material in the cases of 12 typical pieces of cloth calculated 1898, the of an outbreak of typhoid fever little creditable to details upon weighing specimens four inches square. The weight a modern city as Belfast. such of the dress as the case it (or lining, may be), assuming - of ç *reached the dimensions already laid down, made from During the year 1898 there were 7768 deaths in Belfast material No. 1, would be seven pounds and the weight and 11,234 births. Of the deaths registered, 2702 (or nearly of the ash 0’32 ounce; from material No. 2, just over one-third) were attributed to diseases of the respiratory .nine pounds and the weight of the mineral matter slightly organs and phthisis (more than one-quarter occurring from over two ounces; from material No. 3, six pounds and the former and more than one-seventh from the latter). A the weight of the mineral matter 0 28 ounce ; from mortality of 1044 from phthisis is appalling, and in addition material No. 4, 3’77 pounds and the weight of the mineral to want of ventilation and insanitary conditions the heavy matter 0’81 ounce; from material No. 5, four pounds impervious soil and the moisture of the air are contributory .and the weight of the mineral matter 0 04 ounce; causes of this fell disease in Belfast. Of the zymotic diseases, from material No. 6, 8’58 pounds and the weight of out of a total of 7836 cases notified during the year 5136, or the mineral matter 166 ounces; from material No. 7, nearly two of every three of the total, were due to typhoid 6 73 pounds and the weight of the mineral matter 0’12 fever and the deaths from this preventable disease were 640. ounce; from material No. 8, 4 9 pounds and the weight of While typhus fever was formerly so common in Ireland and the mineral matter 2 06 ounces; from material No. 9, while in Belfast, as in other parts of the country, it seems to ’2-7 pounds and the weight of the mineral matter be dying out, as only 18 cases were notified during 1898, and .
.