Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 260, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1910 — DANGER IN LEATHER. [ARTICLE]

DANGER IN LEATHER.

Expert’s Opinion Is That Blood Poisoning May Result. Cheap Grades of Shoes Made From Bklns Not Properly Prepared Often ,Causa Trouble to Their Wearers. London. —Beware of cheap boots. In their leather, if tanned by a recently utilized scientific process, there may lurk a grave danger to health. Blood poisoning is the danger to be feared, and according to an expert’s opinion blood poisoning In a form extremely difficult to cure. In the north of England a case of blood poisoning from this-cause has just been reported, and the victim, an inspector of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, was rendered very seriously ill. While attending a police court wearing a pair of boots of the kind warned against, he collapsed, and his skin turned from its natural color to blue and then to black. \ He was taken to a hospital, and oxygen had to be administered to revive him and it was not until a week afterwards that he was well enough to be sent home. Tanning leather by means of chromic add is the source of the trouble. An analylst on the staff- of the Leathersellers’ company's Technical college described the dangers of this form of tanning. “The process was invented by Prof. Schultz in 1887, and it is known as chrome tanning. At that time they could not make it a practical success, and it remained in the experimental stage for many years. “An American firm then took it up and it is now the pioneer of the process. The poisoning is due to chromic acid, and occurs when the tanning is not carefully done. “The skin first goes into a bath f. of chromic acid, and is then changed from the acid to a base-bath, in which the acid is neutralized by reduction with hyposulphite. If the chromic add is thoroughly neutralized the leather is then perfectly safe and harmless. “But if any tree cnromic acid lc left in the leather, blood poisoning may result, and in the manufacture of the cheaper grades of leather there is a danger that the process may not be completely carried otfL "In a factory a man who works at the chromic add bath is generally put to work at the reducing bath too, so that any chromic add in his hands may be neutralised. If it is not he gets 'chrome sores,’ which are very dangerous and are difficult to cure. Landlne is largely used and recommended now. “Chrome tanning is generally used for upper leather and not often for soles, because 'When wetted it gets very slippery. M A lugs number ct tanners are sow

giving up the old process for the chrome for light leather, but it is not yet very popular with heavy manufacturers. "I have heard of continual complaints that it ‘draws’ the feet badly. “Chrome tanning is the latest word in tanning in England.” the manager of a well known Strand firm of saddlers said. "We only üße it for one particular strap on saddles which go to South America, and then it is so padded that it touches neither horse nor rider. “The process makes leather as nearly as possible waterproof. It is still in its Infancy. “If chrome tanning is properly done there ought to be no danger, but if done hastily by unqualified people, chromic acid and other chemicals are left in the leather and are dissolved out in the perspiration, so that ‘chrome sorts’ and other mischief might be caused." “Chromates in solution,” said the medical officer of health for a large district, “have a poisonous action and also act corrosively on the skin. Chromic acid is a strongly acid liquid and ip some cases the workmen preparing it or using it in various processes suffer severe ulcers."