" MINERS COMPLAINT."

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 31

" MINERS COMPLAINT. "

ARE 'COAL MINERS EXEMPT? Dr Purely. Government Health Officer a+ Auckland, interviewed by a divs? repre^en-

tative on the subject of the disease known as " miner's complaint," said that speaking generally the regulations for the sanitation of mines in New Zealand were far ahead of thcss in the Transvaal. Coal mining, he declared, ranks amongst the comparatively healthy occupations, and it •will be generally found that miners working in coal pits, and suffering from this dtisease, have really contracted it while originally working in metalliferous mines. Coal miners' lungs become saturated with coal dust, but this lias not been found to have any particular harmful effect. As a matter of fact, statistics for tuberculosis show that coal miners are less affected than people following many other occupations. The comparative mortality figures for males in different dust-inhaling occupations in England and Wales, from all causes, being taken at 1000, shows that the deaths from phthisis and diseases of the respiratory organs amongst coal miners only numbered 32.8, whereas amongst Cornish miners, ' in metalliferous mines, the total reached 1148, compared with 1000 deaths for all other causes among those so engaged. The comparative inccuity of coal dust, in causing lung disease, is explained by the fact that it ls free from sharp points and corners, and also to the fact that to coal dust is attributed the special property of hindering the development and arresting the progres of the disease. All metalliferous miners working in hard stono are exposed to dust inhalation, but those who are most exposed are those who employ drilling or boring machines, acting by percussion. A jet or spray of water directed upon this, when the drill is at work, is a valuable means which has lately been employed in keeping down the dust. Dr Purdy explained that what was known as miners' complaint, or miners' phthisis in New Zealand, was really silicoeis, a chronic condition of the lungs, due to the inhalation ofyfixre, angular dust suspended in mine atmosphere, causing irritation, and affecting the respiratory functions. Dr Purdy has also received a letter from the medical officer of health at Johannesburg, Dr Porter, in which he states that the Government Mining Regulations Commission has gone thoroughly into the question of miners' phthisis, and it was convinoed that on the Rand, at any rate, the evil could be successfully combated by the conversion of "dry" to "wet" mining, by the use of jets in all developmental work, and in drilling of what were called " back holes " — that is, holes which were being drilled backwards, and would not, therefore, retain water.