Cotton Dust Papers: Science, Politics, and Power in the ""Discovery"" of Byssinosis in the U.S.

Health officials as far back as the 1930s were aware of a sometimes deadly disease suffered by textile workers called ""brown-lung,"" or byssinosis, that was caused by prolonged exposure to cotton dust. But it was not until 1978 that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) paid attention, estimating that 35,000 people had the disease and 100,000 more were at risk, and imposing a standard on textile factories to protect workers from contracting the disease. In The Cotton Dust Papers: Science, Politics, and Power in the ""Discovery"" of Byssinosis in the U.S., Charles Levenstein and Gregory F. DeLaurier, with Mary Lee Dunn, draw on many primary sources and other research to follow the disease's 50-year path from being ignored by officialdom to recognition as a high priority by OSHA. Labor scholars and readers interested in occupational health will appreciate this conscientious account. (Nov. 15)