Actual Causes of Certain Occupational Dermatoses

Abstract

This is the fifth of a series of papers of actual causes of certain occupational dermatoses. The patients were observed by me and were claimants under the Pennsylvania law governing workmen's compensation. They were workers in many industries in the highly industrialized region of eastern Pennsylvania. Not all industries or occupations are represented (for geographic reasons), for example, agriculture and mining. Most reports of the actual causes of occupational dermatoses give the number of cases attributed to a single agent, or enumerate the causes under occupations. This is illustrated in many recent reports.^* I have selected a different method of classification. In my first report,¹ in 1943, it was observed that the specific causes fell into a number of main groups (shown in the Table) each with subdivisions that were discussed in the report. In subsequent reports^2,3,4 an additional number of cases of occupational dermatoses were added to