How Asbestos-Related Disease Got Kept a Secret for Years

Originally asbestos came from Europe, and production of it exploded. They used it for fabric because it wouldn’t light on fire. Ladies even wore it has a head covering. Because it wouldn’t burn, they could throw it into the fire to get cleaned, pull it back out, and it was as good as new. This was probably insane technology at that time, because they also used in candles for “an everlasting fire” in the church. Some people They would bury people in it too because it was such good quality and fireproof. That way they could burn the body and preserve the ashes safely.
Since it was such good insulation, they would seal things with it and it would be water and fire tight. Barbarians would use it for magic tricks and throw it into the fire, acting like they had special powers to not burn fabric.
These ancient civilizations had a knowing that asbestos was damaging to the health. They knew workers in asbestos mines died young and that they had lung problems. However, it took until the 1930’s for the dangers to really gain ground and become exposed. A man named Oliver invented the word “asbestosis” when discoveries about it first started being made. A man named merewether started the original investigations and found definite cause an effect, especially with high concentrations of asbestos exposure. Then he officially named it “asbestosis.” Finally the government started putting regulations on it regarding it’s dust being in the air. At least they had gotten to the point of repressing humans from breathing in asbestos dust and getting fatal lung diseases. After 25 years they realized how asbestosis had went way down with the reduction of asbestos dust in the air. This was all in Britain, and America was still producing it in mass quantities with no restraints. However, at this time it was becoming more widely known how dangerous it was, and that it caused cancer and mesothelioma, and more news articles where coming out spreading the knowledge. At this point asbestos companies where realizing their danger of going out of business, losing employees, and losing customers. It was at this point a multibillion dollar industry and provided hundreds of thousands of jobs. So the only way they could stay in business was to hide the health risks. This caused the consumers and workers to suffer. They had no idea what was going on and just continued on with the wool pulled over their eyes. Johns Mansville interviewed Lewis Brown and this was the result: “Mr. Brown, do you mean to tell me you would let them work until they dropped dead? He said, “Yes. We save a lot of money that way.” And that was the manufacturers attitude. People where doing medical research in asbestos companies, but the results where concealed from the workers. They’re X-rays revealed signs of fatal disease, which the companies kept a secret from them. Essentially people in the asbestos business cared more about their money than people, essentially how it always goes. For years and years and years people fell ill and died from asbestos-related causes, and companies didn’t even care enough to let them have a choice to be exposed to it or not. They didn’t warn them or educated them on way to avoid it even!

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