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====First Identification of Ailments caused by Asbestos====
Asbestos has been used by humans since at least 2500 B.C.E. Because it was fireproof, asbestos was viewed as if it had almost magical aspects. Since asbestos deposits can be found around the world and are quite common, asbestos has been utilized by societies throughout the world for thousands of years. The first known use was by Fins who included in their pottery to make it heat resistant. Its uses have varied widely. Egyptians wrapped embalmed Pharaohs in asbestos laced textiles to aid preservation. European blacksmiths also included asbestos in medieval armor. Large scale manufacture of asbestos textiles began in earnest after the discovery of large asbestos deposits in 1720 in the Ural mountains.<ref>Tannapfel, <i>Malignant Mesothelioma</i>, p.2</ref>
Despite its perceived magical properties, people noticed early on that exposure to asbestos could be dangerous. Roman historian and doctor Pliny the Elder (23AD to 79 AD) warned that slaves who worked in asbestos mines suffered disproportionally from serious lung ailments. He argued that it was risky to buy slave that worked in these mine because they died young.<ref>Tannapfel, <i>Malignant Mesothelioma</i> at p. 2</ref> Plinny's observation was remarkably prescient, but medicine was not be able to diagnosis what was causing this malady for almost 2000 years. Mesothelioma resisted being diagnosed because the tumors associated with it were easily confused with tuberculous.<ref>Tannapfel <i>Malignant Mesothelioma</i>, p. 13</ref> It was impossible for physicians to diagnosis accurately the condition without microscopes. The symptoms of asbestosis would have been readily apparent because it caused people severe difficulties in breathing. Alternatively, mesothelioma was fatal and it could be mistaken for other diseases such as tuberculous or other cancers.
[[File:Open_pit_mine.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|The Big Hole next to Kimberely, South Africa]]
A pathologist who worked with Wagner in Kimberly, informed Wagner and Kleggs that he had seen similar mesothelioma tumors in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kleggs and Wagner contacted Dr. Paul Marchand, the physician who had treated many of the Johannesburg patients. The three physicians immediately suspected that blue asbestos might of the tumors. After taking another look at the samples of lung from deceased patients, they found fragments of asbestos mineral. Initially, the physicians struggled to link asbestos and mesothelioma for two reasons: First, many of the patients (both black and white) denied working in asbestos mines. Second, mesothelioma tumors were typically fatal within a year or two within diagnosis, but these patients were developing tumors 10-20 years after their first exposure to asbestos. The physicians needed to establish that the tumors were not a result of some other source. Eventually, the doctors realized that their patients had lied to them because their was social stigma attached to working with asbestos. The patients had worked in and around asbestos, but were loath to admit. Eventually, patients began to reveal that they had worked in asbestos mines or mills. In some cases, these patients described living in "a blue haze" in their communities that were located next to mines and mills. The mills and mines west of Kimberly worked with blue asbestos.<ref>Wagner, J.C., "The discovery of the association between blue asbestos and mesotheliomas and the aftermath," <i>British Journal of Industrial Medicine</i>, 1991; 48:399-403 and Tannapefel, <i>Malignant Mesothelioma</i>, p. 15.</ref>
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In order to determine if asbestos was the cause, the physicians had an unlikely resource. The South African Pneumoconiosis Bureau had keep records and samples of the thoracic organs of most of the miners who had died. The South African government had already determined that working with asbestos was dangerous, but they did not know exactly why. On the other hand, mining companies were not interested in delving too deeply into why their miners died. The physicians were allowed to review these samples and learned that miners exposed to amosite (blue) and occasionally chrysolite asbestos developed fatal pleura tumors. After further study, it became clear that all types of asbestos could cause cancer, but some types of asbestos were much more dangerous. It was also confirmed that cigarette smokers who were exposed to asbestos faced even higher risks of developing mesothelioma.<ref>Wagner, J.C.,"The discovery of the association between blue asbestos and mesotheliomas and the aftermath," <i>British Journal of Industrial Medicine</i>, 1991; 48:399-403: 433.</ref>
====Conclusion====
Even though asbestos as has been perceived as dangerous since antiquity, it was not until the 1960s that physicians were able to confirm a link between asbestos and mesothelioma tumors. The tragedy is that there were numerous signs that working with asbestos was extremely dangerous before the Wagner paper was published in 1960. The dangers of asbestos could have been mitigated, but asbestos's so-called "magical properties" were still valued by modern society. Therefore, the discovery was hampered because some physicians argued that malignant pleura tumors did not exist and despite strong suspicions that asbestos dangerous. Additionally, the asbestos industry had little interest in tracking down why their miners, and mill workers became ill. Eventually, a group of physicians in South Africa were finally able to put the pieces together and establish a firm link between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma.
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[[Category:Wikis]]
[[Category:African History]] [[Category:19th Century History]] [[Category:20th Century History]] [[Category:European History]][[Category:Medical History]]
====References====
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