report – Martin Lynch – 10 May 1839

The fourth meeting of the Popular Lecture and Musical Entertainment Society, was held on Saturday evening last.  The musical part of the entertainment gave great satisfaction.  The lecture was delivered by Dr. Lynch, ‘on the prevention of those diseases to which artizans in lead are subject.’  The lecturer introduced  his subject by shewing the difference that exists between the agricultural labourer, enjoying the pure air of heaven during his labour, and the artizans in towns, working in confined rooms, in an impure atmosphere.  He proceeded then to show that persons working in lead manufactories that are not sufficiently careful, are at the commencement of disease attacked with slight and intermitting pain; they then lose their appetite; the disease increases, producing lead fever; this is afterwards succeeded by paralysis, and such persons generally die of apoplexy.  Persons that work in white lead manufactories, he stated, are the most subject to suffer from the lead; after them, those that manufacture red lead, litharge, &c., lead miners and smelters, painters, plumbers, lead pipe makers, shot makers, &c.; and potters and glass makers, who use preparations of lead.  To prevent diseases amongst those connected with the lead manufacture, he pointed out the following rules to be attended to:- 1st, cleanliness; 2nd, to avoid every thing that would tend to weaken the body or enervate the mind.  Here he showed the necessity of using the most nuitritive diet, and of avoiding intemperance of every kind.  He stated that those persons that are temperate almost invariably escape disease, while those that use strong drink injure their constitutions, induce disease, and are great sufferers.  He then showed the necessity of living in pleasant airy houses, and of frequently bathing.  3rd, The rules of the manufactory.  The factory to be pleasantly situated, and the rooms airy; the men to relieve each other at the most unhealthy operations, and as many of the unhealthy operations as possible to be performed amongst water.  This, he observed, is generally done in Newcastle; where, also, as ought to be the case everywhere, a medical man is now attached to each lead manufactory.  He then concluded by showing the necessity of persons applying, on the slightest attack of disease, to a medical man.