Page:The Scientific Monthly vol. 3.djvu/273

 WHAT a IN A JOB 267

the plates on which the men standi so that the temperature need not be higher tiian that of a warm summer day; in other plants the top is encloeed so that the men are compelled to run away from the furnace at frequent intervals^ to avoid complete collapse^ the temperature often running up as high as 120'' to 125^ Fahrenheit.

Changes of temperature are also important. The glass-blower's helpers were required to run from in front of the furnace to the cold outside air^ back and forth many times a day or night Mechanical devices are gradually making this kind of exposure unnecessary^ be- cause uneconomical^ to the employer. The humidify or the dryness of the air should be considered. The laundry worker exposed to a super- saturated atmosphere stands at one extreme; at the other is the worker in a flour or textile mill. And there may be much in the air besides moisture.

The dusty trades have often been described as prolific sources of a large part of our tuberculosis. There is not much choice between the dust of a cotton mill or of a grinding shop^ and the dust inhaled by the breaker-boy at the coal mine — ^which fills the limgs so thoroughly in a few weeks that years in a clean life away from the mines can not remove it all. The employer can eliminate this dust in all industries practically, as soon as it is worth while — ^in a money sense. If the workers, for example, were in a position to insist upon dust-free work rooms, or if they exacted a large bonus for every cubic foot of dust that they swallowed or inhaled, it would soon be found practicable to install dust-preventing or dust-removing devices, as has already been done in many establishments. It is likely, too, that much of the dust thus saved could be converted into useful and usable commodities.

Gases and fumes are a source of annoyance, and even of injury, in many industries. In gas factories it is now economical to save all the ammonia and the other waste products of the coal distillation, be- cause they have a definite commercial value. But in many clothing factories enough illuminating gas escapes from the neglected pipes and joints to be positively injurious to the workers. On the other hand, the atmosphere in a malting house or in a brewery often contains large amoimts of carbon dioxide, but this is really quite harmless. The fumes from special solvents used in many paint shops and picture- frame factories are very injurious, especially to those who have npt per- fectly sound hearts.

The matter of light and sound deserves attention. There is as great danger from too much light and glare as there is from insuffi- cient light and consequent eye-strain. Manufacturers have f oimd it to their interest to standardize lighting conditions, because the output per worker has been appreciably increased as a result of such standard- ization. There are still, however, many workers who are exposed to a

�� �