Professional paper
Foundry workmen's ague
Miroslv Fleischhacker
Abstract
This is a rare disease as in well equiped brass foundries a sufficient ZnO concentration does not form in the air. But there may gather different factors such as working above the factory's capacity, bad ventilation, depression, rain, wind, which cause the ZnO contents in the air to reach a sufficient poisonous concentration. Working hard the workmen inhale a sufficient quantity of ZnO which results in the specific ague. 10 cases are described, which have been studied in a small brass factory. By anamnesis and objectively these were definite cases of foundry ague as described by other authors. In all cases a stage of latency has been observed and more than a half of them had Ieucocethosis. ZnO must exist in form of tiny colloidal practicles to cause such an effect. This is mostly the case in brass foundries but also by working with zinc. Chemicaly analysing the coating on the walls of the room above the foundry where steams of zinc oxyde float up it is possible to prove a thick layer of ZnO. The author expresses different views on the effects of ZnO on human organism, making use of available literature. He is of the opinion that these are anaphilactic phenomenon.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
188968
URI
Publication date:
25.3.1947.
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