Medical

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21876, 11 August 1934, Page 7 (Supplement)

Medical

DANGERS OF SMOKE AND FOG

Harmful Effect on Health

By a MEDICA [The first of a Series of Articles published

- SPECIALIST inder the auspices of the Sunshine League]

In the 14th century, one John Smith, was hanged for creating a smoke nuisance. In the intervening period of the development of our industrial civilisation, the evils of smoke have become to be complacently tolerated. Citizens of large towns ancl manufacturing districts have grown so accustomed to the outpouring of black smoke from factory and domestic chimneys, and also to the prevalence of fogs, that they regard these conditions as being part of the natural order of things. The popular idea that smoke does not injure health, but only affects our comfort, is responsible for the continuation of the harmful effects of air pollution. The effects of fog and smoke are so gradual, while they accumulate, that their influence in producing ill-health and disease is not readily apparent. There are several ways in which fog and smoke produce deleterious effects on the human body, and it is the purpose of this article to explain these briefly.

lluence. During the winter months the smoke that lies over our city cuts off 30 per cent to 50 per cent of the sun's rays. Human beings are adversely affected by being deprived of pure sunlight for any length of time. The ultraviolet rays of the sun are essential to activate the vital processes of growth in the young, and they are also essential for energising the resisting forces, which protect the body against the onslaughts of disease. Smoky atmosphere and fogs prevent the ultra-violet rays of the sun from reaching the towns and cities, and the vital importance of this is seen in the fact that rickets and anaemia are the two principal diseases resulting from a prolonged deficiency of sunshine. These are the extreme effects, but in addition the loss of much sunshine in the winter months through the agency of fogs causes enfeeblement and devitalising of the general health.

Mucous Membrane Affected In foggy weather the inhabitants of towns and cities, cannot avoid the inhalation of particles of soot and other atmospheric impurities, and these are deposited on the mucous membranes lining the nose, throat, and bronchial tubes. These impurities taken in along with the inspired air, cause irritation of the t mucous membranes rendering them liable to acute and chronic infections, which may also involve the ear and nasal sinuses. The effect of long continued irritation of the respiratory mucous membranes by smoke and fog particles, is that chronic catarrh of the nose, throat, and maybe the bronchial tubes, supervenes. With this condition the mucous lining becomes rough and thickened and the deposition of the carbon particles from the soot and dust causes the lymphatic glands to become clogged, with the inevitable result that disease germs when they enter are enabled to set up such diseases as bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinusitis, because of the clogging of the lymphatic glands, which are the natural barriers of the body against germ infection. Smoke Often Responsible lor Golds

Ingredients of Smoke Fog The fogs which are prevalent over our cities are not real fogs as people imagine. What are often mistakenly called fogs are really clouds of smoke and dust-ridden polluted air, which in cold windless days are prevented from rising and hang like a pall over buildings and streets. Smoke fog is very harmful, for the ingredients of which it is mainly composed are soot and tar with variable quantities of sulphur and nitrogen compounds, which frequently turn to highly injurious acids when condensed or when mingled with moisture in the air. The soot and tarry compounds make the smoke visible. The soot, for most people, constitutes the most obnoxious feature of smoke, but the most injurious component of smoke is sulphur, which goes to form sulphurous acid. These heavy gases descend in the surrounding neighbourhood. The peculiar irritating sensations sometimes experienced during a smoke fog are generally due to the sulphur in the air. Asthma, catarrh, and similar ailments may be either caused or aggravated by stilphur laden smoke. Causes ol Cold Humidity

Smoky and foggy air is largely responsible for the long continued prevalance of colds and bronchitis during the winter months. For those living in. a smoky neighbourhood the early morning cough is a familiar experience, being an attempt to get rid of the inspired irritating carbon particles which can he seen as black specks in the phlegm. Dwellers near industrial centres have their lungs blackened both on their surface and throughout their structure by the deposit of carbon from longcontinued inhalation in smoky localities. While blackened lungs may not cause immediate illness they reduce materially the chances of recovery from disease, and this explains why pneumonia in a smoky district is generally more severe than in a non-smdky area. This constitutes one of the principal indictments against smoke from the standpoint of health, namely, that the physical resistance and natural means of protection of the body against disease are very materially lowered throughout the whole community. Smoke immeasurably affects the general health. The protection of the health of the community lies largely in the hands of the specialist in preventive medicine, but until the general public demands pure air, and the abatement of the smoke nuisance, nothing much can be done to lessen the enormous prevalence of colds and respiratory infections.

lPogs are made dense by the moisture of the atmosphere; being deposited on f articles of soot, dust, or acid vapours, 'ogs prevent the evaporation of moisture, keeping the ground and streets damp and cold: also the cutting off of the sun's rays by the smoke greatly increases the cold humidity of the climate. People are impelled to remain indoors and indoor occupations take the place of healthy exercise. Smoke fogs aggravate the discomfort of those already suffering from heart and chest disease, and they also imperil the aged, the young, and the weak. It is well known thai when fogs are prevalent, colds and respirator „• diseases increase. There is no doubt that the continued foggy weather experienced this -winter has played an important part in the causation and long-continued prevalence of the epidemic of influenza colds that have been so widespread. In the manufacturing towns of England and Scotland, it has been clearly proved that fogs cause a definite increase in the death rate from bronchitis, pneumonia and pleurisy.

Definite Harm Irom Lack ol Sunlight The sun is so important to our continued well-being, that we can only look with the greatest concern upon any agency which tends to restrict its in-