It is thought that exposure to cotton dust in poorly ventilated environments leads to the disease and its accompanying symptoms – namely, tightness of the chest, coughing and breathing difficulties. ByssinosisĪlso known by the somewhat poetic name “Monday fever” – as well as the not-so-poetic “brown lung disease” – byssinosis is primarily associated with textile workers, especially young girls working in factories or mills. The tragedy is that so many of these deaths were eminently preventable. Relatively simple worker safety laws were put in place and the outbreaks of radiation sickness eventually stopped altogether. Although radiation necrosis was initially denied by the company, the negative publicity created by the many cases of severe illness and death could not be ignored forever. A painful swelling, bleeding and porosity of the jaws would follow, and ultimately, so too would death. Unfortunately for the employees, they were told to lick the brushes they were using, the pointed tips of which were useful for painting fine details on clock faces or watches – but not so beneficial for the girls’ health. The paint, known by the trademark Undark, used radium as its chief ingredient. These workers were in the employment of the United States Radium Corporation, which enjoyed no small success with the production of its glow-in-the-dark radioactive paint. Radium jaw was a particularly unpleasant affliction that affected the so-called “Radium Girls” of the early 20th century. Phossy jaw did not begin to decline until 1906, when the use of white phosphorus was officially banned. The disease also caused tremendous pain and disfigurement, and the rotting bone tissue emitted a putrid-smelling discharge. The only known treatment was to surgically remove the jawbones if it were left unchecked, organ failure and death would result. The afflicted bones would also take on a green-white tinge, while severe brain damage also lay in wait for those already suffering. Throbbing toothaches, extreme swelling of the gums and abscesses in the jawbone followed. In those days, matches were made with white phosphorus, and prolonged exposure to the vapor of the substance caused deposits to form in the victims’ jawbones. Phossy jaw, also known as phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, was most commonly seen among match workers in the 19th and early 20th centuries – famously, the “London matchgirls,” whose strike of 1888 brought the problem into the public eye.
The true cause of the disease was not proven until 1922, when carcinogens were discovered in soot. The only treatment available to medics at the time was surgery – cutting out the diseased flesh – a terrifying prospect for the young sweeps. Left unchecked, the warts developed into a scrotal cancer that would make the testicles balloon in size before invading the abdomen with deadly effect. The disease into which Pott researched proved fatal if it was not treated. The disease was first identified in 1775 by Sir Percivall Pott, an English surgeon, and one of the first scientists to theorize on the link between cancers and environmental hazards. Its name derives from the fact that it was first noted occurring among chimney sweeps – young men in their late teens and early twenties who had worked with soot for most of their lives.
#Real radium jaw skin
Chimney Sweep’s CarcinomaĬhimney Sweeps’ carcinoma, also known as Soot wart, is a form of skin cancer affecting the scrotum. Definitely not for the squeamish, what follows is a look through the murky world of work-related illness. While the closest most of us get to occupational disease is a brush with carpal tunnel syndrome, we’ll soon see that there is a fascinating and disturbing assortment of illnesses and diseases that have made hay in the workplace – particularly in times past. Or can they? Throughout history, not everyone has been so lucky. However, most of the time, present-day job seekers can at least count on being safe and not at risk from serious illness. The modern job market, for example, can take a candidate into areas where they undertake many unusual and unexpected activities.
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