Alice Hamilton
Dublin Core
Title
Alice Hamilton
Description
Alice Hamilton (1869-1970) had a transformative effect on the research of lead in the United States. Hamilton had a tremendous effect of the early research of lead in the United States. She was very well known for being very well-known for her research and an expert in occupational diseases (Hull-House 2002). Hamilton left a large legacy in the research of lead throughout the country and discovering the effects that lead causes on patients. One of Hamilton’s first diagnosis of lead poisoning came from a man in a factory man when she realized there was something wrong with him more than just an illness. Hamilton began the recognition and research on lead in factories. This beginning of research lead drove the research to many different areas. In the book Lead Wars, one of her arguments claimed that more vulnerable populations such as kids and the elderly are more likely to get lead poisoning at lower levels than the men working in the factories (Markowitz, Rosner 43). Hamilton began the research that we still use today to keep changing how lead effects the environment and society.
Hamilton’s interest in lead began in 1910. She suspected that lead was causing certain sicknesses in factory workers that were unknowingly being exposed to large amounts of lead. She began by looking at the medical records of those who believed they were lead poisoned. Hamilton learned that lead was in more things than originally thought. Alice Hamilton learned that lead was in things such as paints, enamelware, pottery. She also believed it was in things such as tinfoil and cut glass and wrapping cigars. (Hull-House 2002). Hamilton lead the rest of the country on the dangers and places that lead may be in relation to work sites, homes and general exposure.
Hamilton was one of the first researchers to research lead poisoning via inhalation in lead refineries and smelters. Most factory owners and supporters believed that lead exposure came from direct contact. Alice Hamilton looked at different hospital records and certain illnesses that these people had and saw certain patterns. She would insist that she needed to do tests for the benefits of the workers. Many places allowed her to do this which helped her to her discoveries (Hull-House 2002). These discoveries lead her to see how lead poisoning effected the factory workers, but also how lead collected and became such a hazard. She had strict rules on how she decided if there was a case of lead poisoning or not. She looked at the gums and for a solid black like of lead sulphide. (Hull-House 2002). These cases became more and more common which made Hamilton realize that there was a larger issue of lead in Americas lead industry.
Hamilton had no certain tests or standards to identify lead poisoning. She was a pioneer in her field, and thus could rely on little previous knowledge or research (Hull-House 2002). She knew that when she started this research in industrial lead, she was starting something new and there was no previous knowledge about this topic. Hamilton worked to change factories intense exposure of lead and worked to tell factory workers that this was a harmful environment. Hamilton was a pioneer in the lead field and her work has contributed to where society is with lead today.
Alice Hamilton and the Development of Occupational Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/alicehamilton.html
Markowitz, G., & Rosner, D. (2013). Lead wars: the politics of science and the fate of Americas children. Berkeley: MilbankBooks on Health & Public.
Hamilton’s interest in lead began in 1910. She suspected that lead was causing certain sicknesses in factory workers that were unknowingly being exposed to large amounts of lead. She began by looking at the medical records of those who believed they were lead poisoned. Hamilton learned that lead was in more things than originally thought. Alice Hamilton learned that lead was in things such as paints, enamelware, pottery. She also believed it was in things such as tinfoil and cut glass and wrapping cigars. (Hull-House 2002). Hamilton lead the rest of the country on the dangers and places that lead may be in relation to work sites, homes and general exposure.
Hamilton was one of the first researchers to research lead poisoning via inhalation in lead refineries and smelters. Most factory owners and supporters believed that lead exposure came from direct contact. Alice Hamilton looked at different hospital records and certain illnesses that these people had and saw certain patterns. She would insist that she needed to do tests for the benefits of the workers. Many places allowed her to do this which helped her to her discoveries (Hull-House 2002). These discoveries lead her to see how lead poisoning effected the factory workers, but also how lead collected and became such a hazard. She had strict rules on how she decided if there was a case of lead poisoning or not. She looked at the gums and for a solid black like of lead sulphide. (Hull-House 2002). These cases became more and more common which made Hamilton realize that there was a larger issue of lead in Americas lead industry.
Hamilton had no certain tests or standards to identify lead poisoning. She was a pioneer in her field, and thus could rely on little previous knowledge or research (Hull-House 2002). She knew that when she started this research in industrial lead, she was starting something new and there was no previous knowledge about this topic. Hamilton worked to change factories intense exposure of lead and worked to tell factory workers that this was a harmful environment. Hamilton was a pioneer in the lead field and her work has contributed to where society is with lead today.
Alice Hamilton and the Development of Occupational Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/alicehamilton.html
Markowitz, G., & Rosner, D. (2013). Lead wars: the politics of science and the fate of Americas children. Berkeley: MilbankBooks on Health & Public.
Source
photo from Images from the History of Medicine, B014009
Publisher
Original uploader was PDH at Smithsonian Institution and en.wikipedia
Date
21 February 2005 (original upload date)
Contributor
Meghan Thornton
David McGuire
David McGuire
Collection
Citation
“Alice Hamilton,” History of Environmental Inequalities, accessed April 30, 2024, https://steppingintothemap.com/inequalities/items/show/40.
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