Mesothelioma Attorney

Role of Asbestos

Asbestos has been the root of many sicknesses and diseases, including the very deadly mesothelioma, for many many centuries. The Ancient Greeks were the ones to name this mineral and the name actually means “inextinguishable”. They named it this because of its awesome fireproof qualities, though they also noticed the extreme harmful effects it had on people who worked with and around it.

Because of its softness and flexibility, it has been used all over the world for many, many years for a wide range of things. The most modern use for this mineral is for insulation, and it has been used in a wide range of items and structures, from ceilings and walls to toasters and hairdryers. This mineral became popular during the industrial revolution as an effective and safe form of insulation – safe in that it was fireproof, but certainly not safe in any other sense. Although the risks involved in using and working with asbestos had been observed several hundred years earlier, these risks were not taken into account when asbestos became widely used for insulation.

It was not until the 1900s that the facts regarding the risks involved to workers began to re-emerge. An English physician carried out a post-mortem on a man who had worked with asbestos for many years, and he found traces of fibers and dust in the man’s lungs. The doctor stated that the man had died due to his exposure to this mineral. Over the next twenty or so years professionals in many countries began to notice the fact that disease, illness and death was uncommonly high amongst asbestos workers.

In the mid 1920s, an English doctor made the first diagnosis of asbestosis, and this was followed by a study which showed that 25% of English asbestos workers showed signs of a related lung disease. Laws were then stepped up in England to provide better ventilation and more protection to workers who were regularly exposed to asbestos. These steps were slowly followed by other countries over the next decade.

(History of Mesothelioma continued)

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