La Silicose Dans Le Bassin De Liége(1)

SummaryFrom the study of clinical, Xray and eventually p.m. data of 2301 lung patients treated from 1937 to 1943 at the medical Department of the University of Liege, we can draw the following conclusions :1° Amongst all groups of workers colliers are frequently affected by pulmonary diseases; the same can be said of heart failures.2° Colliers are earlier affected by disease and die younger than other workers.3° Pulmonary silicotic fibrosis is frequent (49 %) among ill minoworkers and the silicotics are often affected at a later stage by tuberculosis (40 %).4° Mortality as caused by tuberculosis is the highest among colliers mainly among silicotics.5° Work-duration, i. e. duration of dust inhalation (especially of silica dust) is a very important factor with colliers; lesions appear mostly after 10 years’work.There is, as yet, no efficient treatment.Technical preventive measures are still being investigated : they aim at removing dust, neutralizing silica dust, equipping miners with comfortable masks whic...