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THE AUDIBILITY OF GUN-FIRING.
THE AUDIBILITY OF GUN-FIRING.-INDUSTRIAL ANILIN POISONING. as
there is
were
altering
nothing mysterious about the audibility so greatly as it obviously does. The and its position, the weather and its weapon modifications, all combine to make the audibility vary from day to day.
0’02 per cent. In the three large towns 1629 new cases of syphilis, 8168 of gonorrhoea, and 1126 new cases new cases While the total population of of ulcus molle. the three towns was only 665,638, the total population of the country districts was 4,156,717. Yet in the country districts there were only 121 new cases of syphilis, 666 new cases of gonorrhoea, and only 26 new cases of ulcus molle. It appears from these figures that the danger of infection from venereal disease is 75 times greater in the large towns than it is in the country districts, and that far more active measures are required to combat the disease in the crowded communities than elsewhere. That the relative preponderance of venereal disease in the large towns coincides broadly with the incidence of prostitution is the inevitable conclusion from these facts and figures, and if the problems of venereal disease are those of prostitution it is only by reforms in the conduct of prostitution that an appreciable reduction of venereal disease can be anticipated. This, the moral of Dr. Sederholm’s communication, is a point of view not shared by all the other members of the Board of Health to which Dr. Sederholm belongs. This body, apparently, is in favour of the abandonment of regulation of prostitution in any form, and relies mainly on educational methods and free treatment for every patient. as low there
115
____
INDUSTRIAL ANILIN
POISONING.
THE
paramount position of the anilin industry in Germany has naturally caused the experience of anilin poisoning to be mainly German. The production of anilin dyes in England consequent on the war is likely to familiarise us with anilin poisoning. The United States made no attempt to compete with Germany in the manufacture of anilin or anilin dyes until the supply was shut off by the war, but in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dr. R. V. Luce and Dr. Alice Hamilton now publish an important paper on Industrial Anilin Poisoning, based on experiences in the tyre factories of Akron, Ohio. Apart from the production of anilin colours, anilin is used in America in the compounding of rubber, especially for tyres, and in reclaiming rubber from scrap. When the war suddenly shut off the supply from Germany rubber manufacturers began to manufacture anilin, so that now to the men exposed to anilism in rubber manufacture must be added those engaged in producing the anilin. Industrial anilin poisoning, which a few years ago was negligible, suddenly assumed importance. So far the making of dyes is too new in the United States to furnish cases ; those reported come from the rubber industry and from the use of a wash for printers’ ink which contains anilin. The victims are known as " blue boys," from the cyanosis which is so prominent a symptom. Since the discovery of the cause of the trouble the rubber manufacturers have taken measures of protection, either by
THE AUDIBILITY OF GUN-FIRING.
SEVERAL correspondents have written recently calling attention to the unusual audibility of the gun-nring in Flanders, so that a paper read at the last monthly meeting of the Royal Meteorological Society by Mr. Miller Christy and Mr. W. Marriott has a topical interest. The audibility of the gunfiring in Flanders over the south-east of England has been repeatedly noticed since an early period of the war, but Mr. Christy says that undoubtedly the intensity of the sound varies considerably with the quality of the guns and the meteorological conditions. Sometimes slow and deliberate firing is heard at the rate of 3 to 12 shots a minute, each shot being quite loud and distinct. This is probably the firing of the monitors and other warships bombarding the German positions on the Belgian coast. Usually, however, the firing has been much more rapid, much less distinct, and apparently more distant. This is, no doubt, the sound of the fighting further inland-say, around Ypres, Dixmude, or Arras; it varies in rapidity from perhaps 4 or 5
installing exhaust ventilators
or
simply by warning
the men to seek the open air as soon as flushing of the face and violent headache come on. Pure anilin has never been known to cause poisoning; but pure anilin is not used in industry. What is known under this name is a mixture of anilin (amidobenzene) with metatoluidin, paratoluidin, orthotoluidin, and xylidin in varying proportions. Unlike most volatile poisons, anilin gives no warning, for it does not irritate the eyes and Yet according to the researches of throat. Lehmann, anilin is toxic in even smaller doses than benzene, chloroform, or carbon disulphide. Most of the industrial cases follow spilling or splashing of anilin over clothes or skin, and shots to the minute up to more than 100. This doubtless both skin absorption and lung absorption sound is, as a rule, very faint, though easily per- play their part. Rambousek places anilin and all ceptible and quite unmistakable; it resembles more the nitro and amido derivatives of the aromatic nearly a dull and distinct thud, which is rather felt series among the blood poisons the principal than heard. From the records collected it appears action of which is to cause the formation of that the gun-firing has been heard at one time or methæmoglobin, in which the oxygen is firmly another over the counties of Essex, London, Kent, bound, thus producing a condition of "internal Surrey, and Sussex, the most distant place being suffocation." In England Dr. W. Malden has examined about 150 miles from Ypres. Mr. Marriott, in dis- the blood of men employed in the manufacture of cussing the meteorological conditions under whichanilin dyes and nitrobenzene. In about half he found the gun-firing was heard, said that the weather a high red count with a low colour index and many charts showed that generally there is a somewhati imperfectly developed red corpuscles. The spectrum irregular, or not definitely defined, distribution ofrof methaemoglobin could be detected only when it barometric pressure, but mostly with a region of! was present in the proportion of 1 part to 10 high pressure wedged in between areas of slightlyof oxyhæmoglobin. Loss of hæmoglobin ran from lower pressure. These conditions are such as to)5to 50 per cent. Stained specimens showed great produce light winds at the surface, mostly betweenvariations in the size of the red corpuscles. Basonorth and east, over the neighbourhood of thee philic granules were found. Dr. Malden believes North Sea. Aspect and elevation are also im- that this is often the earliest sign of anilin portant factors for the hearing of the firing, so thatj poisoning, as it is of lead poisoning. The first ,
.
there is
were
altering
nothing mysterious about the audibility so greatly as it obviously does. The and its position, the weather and its weapon modifications, all combine to make the audibility vary from day to day.
0’02 per cent. In the three large towns 1629 new cases of syphilis, 8168 of gonorrhoea, and 1126 new cases new cases While the total population of of ulcus molle. the three towns was only 665,638, the total population of the country districts was 4,156,717. Yet in the country districts there were only 121 new cases of syphilis, 666 new cases of gonorrhoea, and only 26 new cases of ulcus molle. It appears from these figures that the danger of infection from venereal disease is 75 times greater in the large towns than it is in the country districts, and that far more active measures are required to combat the disease in the crowded communities than elsewhere. That the relative preponderance of venereal disease in the large towns coincides broadly with the incidence of prostitution is the inevitable conclusion from these facts and figures, and if the problems of venereal disease are those of prostitution it is only by reforms in the conduct of prostitution that an appreciable reduction of venereal disease can be anticipated. This, the moral of Dr. Sederholm’s communication, is a point of view not shared by all the other members of the Board of Health to which Dr. Sederholm belongs. This body, apparently, is in favour of the abandonment of regulation of prostitution in any form, and relies mainly on educational methods and free treatment for every patient. as low there
115
____
INDUSTRIAL ANILIN
POISONING.
THE
paramount position of the anilin industry in Germany has naturally caused the experience of anilin poisoning to be mainly German. The production of anilin dyes in England consequent on the war is likely to familiarise us with anilin poisoning. The United States made no attempt to compete with Germany in the manufacture of anilin or anilin dyes until the supply was shut off by the war, but in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dr. R. V. Luce and Dr. Alice Hamilton now publish an important paper on Industrial Anilin Poisoning, based on experiences in the tyre factories of Akron, Ohio. Apart from the production of anilin colours, anilin is used in America in the compounding of rubber, especially for tyres, and in reclaiming rubber from scrap. When the war suddenly shut off the supply from Germany rubber manufacturers began to manufacture anilin, so that now to the men exposed to anilism in rubber manufacture must be added those engaged in producing the anilin. Industrial anilin poisoning, which a few years ago was negligible, suddenly assumed importance. So far the making of dyes is too new in the United States to furnish cases ; those reported come from the rubber industry and from the use of a wash for printers’ ink which contains anilin. The victims are known as " blue boys," from the cyanosis which is so prominent a symptom. Since the discovery of the cause of the trouble the rubber manufacturers have taken measures of protection, either by
THE AUDIBILITY OF GUN-FIRING.
SEVERAL correspondents have written recently calling attention to the unusual audibility of the gun-nring in Flanders, so that a paper read at the last monthly meeting of the Royal Meteorological Society by Mr. Miller Christy and Mr. W. Marriott has a topical interest. The audibility of the gunfiring in Flanders over the south-east of England has been repeatedly noticed since an early period of the war, but Mr. Christy says that undoubtedly the intensity of the sound varies considerably with the quality of the guns and the meteorological conditions. Sometimes slow and deliberate firing is heard at the rate of 3 to 12 shots a minute, each shot being quite loud and distinct. This is probably the firing of the monitors and other warships bombarding the German positions on the Belgian coast. Usually, however, the firing has been much more rapid, much less distinct, and apparently more distant. This is, no doubt, the sound of the fighting further inland-say, around Ypres, Dixmude, or Arras; it varies in rapidity from perhaps 4 or 5
installing exhaust ventilators
or
simply by warning
the men to seek the open air as soon as flushing of the face and violent headache come on. Pure anilin has never been known to cause poisoning; but pure anilin is not used in industry. What is known under this name is a mixture of anilin (amidobenzene) with metatoluidin, paratoluidin, orthotoluidin, and xylidin in varying proportions. Unlike most volatile poisons, anilin gives no warning, for it does not irritate the eyes and Yet according to the researches of throat. Lehmann, anilin is toxic in even smaller doses than benzene, chloroform, or carbon disulphide. Most of the industrial cases follow spilling or splashing of anilin over clothes or skin, and shots to the minute up to more than 100. This doubtless both skin absorption and lung absorption sound is, as a rule, very faint, though easily per- play their part. Rambousek places anilin and all ceptible and quite unmistakable; it resembles more the nitro and amido derivatives of the aromatic nearly a dull and distinct thud, which is rather felt series among the blood poisons the principal than heard. From the records collected it appears action of which is to cause the formation of that the gun-firing has been heard at one time or methæmoglobin, in which the oxygen is firmly another over the counties of Essex, London, Kent, bound, thus producing a condition of "internal Surrey, and Sussex, the most distant place being suffocation." In England Dr. W. Malden has examined about 150 miles from Ypres. Mr. Marriott, in dis- the blood of men employed in the manufacture of cussing the meteorological conditions under whichanilin dyes and nitrobenzene. In about half he found the gun-firing was heard, said that the weather a high red count with a low colour index and many charts showed that generally there is a somewhati imperfectly developed red corpuscles. The spectrum irregular, or not definitely defined, distribution ofrof methaemoglobin could be detected only when it barometric pressure, but mostly with a region of! was present in the proportion of 1 part to 10 high pressure wedged in between areas of slightlyof oxyhæmoglobin. Loss of hæmoglobin ran from lower pressure. These conditions are such as to)5to 50 per cent. Stained specimens showed great produce light winds at the surface, mostly betweenvariations in the size of the red corpuscles. Basonorth and east, over the neighbourhood of thee philic granules were found. Dr. Malden believes North Sea. Aspect and elevation are also im- that this is often the earliest sign of anilin portant factors for the hearing of the firing, so thatj poisoning, as it is of lead poisoning. The first ,
.