Asbestosis (1960)

This book chapter on asbestosis in Sweden first summarizes earlier research by others. It then reports the authors' own series of 11 men with asbestosis, the cases known by the end of their observation period in 1956. Eight had done insulating work, 2 had done various asbestos jobs including spooling and weaving of brake linings, and 1 had mainly sprayed asbestos. The fiber types were not named. Diagnoses were made from 1950 to 1956, at ages 33 to 63, after 4 to 30 years of exposure. X-rays showed mild fibrosis in 10 men. The sprayer had advanced disease and died of asbestosis plus pneumonia a few months after diagnosis. No tuberculosis or lung cancer was seen during the observation period. Afterwards, lung cancer was found in 1 man, and 2 more men died: 1 of asbestosis alone and 1 of asbestosis with lung cancer. The authors noted that their cases were only a proportion of those known. They concluded that asbestosis may constitute a grave health hazard in Sweden, requiring technical protection and medical supervision.

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From J-M's medical library

This copy comes from the Johns-Manville medical library. J-M listed it in its medical library index as no. 001593. Barry Castleman cites it in chapter 2, "Cancer" and chapter 3, "Compensation: The Final Check-Up", of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects (5th ed., 2005); see Reading Castleman.

We publish pages from a book for research and commentary: it shows what the medical literature in a leading asbestos company's own library said on the subject, and when. Our summary above is our own reading of it. The copyright stays with the publisher.