Abstract
Thereisgeneral agreement thatbyssinosis is associated withtheinhalation ofcotton dust. Good descriptions ofthedisease havebeengiven bythe HomeOffice Departmental Committee onDustin CardRoomsintheir report (1932), byPrausnitz (1936), andbySchilling (1950). An extensive and complete review oftheliterature oncotton dustin relation toaffections oftherespiratory tract hasbeen prepared byCaminita, Baum,Neal, andSchneiter (1947). Thedustaffects thelungs, andthefirst symptomsarecough, afeeling oftightness inthe chest, andbreathlessness whichdevelop gradually after working forseveral years inthedusty atmosphere produced byopening bales ofcotton andby thecarding machines whichclean andcomb-out the fibres. Somepersons donotsuffer fromthis disease after alife-time ofexposure tothedust;those who do,findtheir symptoms areworseonMondays after aweek-end awayfromthemill. Thedisease is usually progressive, butsomeworkers suffer only on Mondaysduring thewholeoftheir working lives, without anyprogression. A change ofoccupation whichavoids exposure tothedust gives freedom fromsymptoms, butareturn tothedustyatmosphere ofthemillafter suchaperiod offreedom results immediately inareturn ofsymptoms.The pathological changes foundinthelater stages are those ofemphysema. Wherethedisease progresses symptomseventually persist throughout thewhole weekandfinally thereisincapacity forwork,
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