﻿Report 
  on 
  the 
  Metabolism 
  of 
  Female 
  Munition 
  Workers. 
  65 
  

  

  The 
  atmosphere 
  of 
  the 
  tool 
  room 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  varnishing 
  room 
  deserves 
  

   comment. 
  In 
  the 
  former, 
  where 
  high 
  speed 
  steel 
  is 
  being 
  ground 
  on 
  corun- 
  

   dum 
  wheels 
  and 
  rockers, 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  odour 
  of 
  burning, 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  air 
  is 
  

   warm 
  and 
  feels 
  stuffy, 
  possibly 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  fumes 
  generated 
  by 
  the 
  gas 
  

   heaters 
  used 
  for 
  ovens 
  and 
  cauldrons. 
  The 
  temperature 
  of 
  this 
  room 
  varies 
  

   considerably 
  at 
  different 
  times, 
  both 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  stoves 
  in 
  it, 
  and 
  of 
  

   the 
  piles 
  of 
  cooling 
  shells 
  removed 
  from 
  them 
  (after 
  their 
  varnished 
  interiors 
  

   have 
  been 
  sufficiently 
  baked), 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  two 
  large 
  doors 
  at 
  

   one 
  end 
  are 
  periodically 
  thrown 
  open 
  wide 
  to 
  let 
  out 
  a 
  trolley 
  full 
  of 
  shells, 
  

   when 
  the 
  temperature 
  suddenly 
  falls, 
  it 
  may 
  be, 
  many 
  degrees. 
  

  

  Section 
  2. 
  

  

  Such 
  being 
  the 
  general 
  atmosphere 
  of 
  the 
  factory, 
  we 
  pass 
  to 
  the 
  relevant 
  

   details 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  operations 
  studied. 
  

  

  The 
  Press-house. 
  — 
  The 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  press-house 
  is 
  generally 
  regarded 
  

   as 
  the 
  most 
  arduous 
  in 
  the 
  factory. 
  Men 
  work 
  the 
  forges 
  and 
  remove 
  

   the 
  cooled 
  forgings 
  ; 
  the 
  intermediate 
  process 
  is 
  carried 
  out 
  by 
  gangs 
  of 
  

   three 
  women, 
  viz., 
  the 
  press 
  driver, 
  the 
  tonger, 
  and 
  the 
  ringer. 
  

  

  The 
  press 
  driver, 
  standing 
  on 
  a 
  small 
  platform, 
  works 
  the 
  press 
  by 
  means 
  

   of 
  three 
  levers 
  ; 
  a 
  pedal 
  for 
  the 
  right 
  foot 
  releases 
  one 
  ; 
  the 
  handles 
  are 
  at 
  

   about 
  elbow 
  height, 
  and 
  the 
  levers 
  are 
  pulled 
  and 
  pushed, 
  using 
  the 
  weight 
  

   of 
  the 
  body 
  which 
  is 
  thrown 
  as 
  far 
  forward 
  as 
  possible, 
  and 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  

   pressure 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  exactly 
  regulated. 
  The 
  press 
  driver 
  also 
  keeps 
  the 
  press 
  

   cooled 
  by 
  turning 
  on 
  water 
  after 
  each 
  forging 
  and 
  periodically 
  steps 
  down 
  

   to 
  tar 
  the 
  mould 
  and 
  punch. 
  

  

  The 
  tonger 
  moves 
  the 
  yellow-hot 
  billet 
  from 
  the 
  forge 
  table 
  and 
  drops 
  it 
  

   into 
  the 
  press, 
  from 
  which 
  she 
  afterwards 
  lifts 
  the 
  forging 
  and 
  tips 
  it 
  on 
  to 
  

   the 
  ground. 
  The 
  tongs 
  are 
  about 
  5 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  are 
  suspended 
  by 
  a 
  wire 
  

   from 
  the 
  overhead 
  run 
  which 
  bears 
  both 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  billet 
  and 
  tongs, 
  and 
  

   the 
  chief 
  exertion 
  consists 
  first 
  in 
  applying 
  the 
  necessary 
  grip, 
  at 
  the 
  

   moment 
  of 
  raising 
  the 
  billet 
  from 
  the 
  table, 
  and 
  again 
  when 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  

   inches 
  of 
  the 
  forging 
  are 
  levered 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  press 
  (it 
  being 
  automatically 
  

   pushed 
  through 
  about 
  five-sixths 
  of 
  the 
  mould 
  after 
  the 
  punch 
  has 
  been 
  

   withdrawn), 
  the 
  body 
  weight 
  is 
  thrown 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  tongs 
  to 
  give 
  leverage, 
  this 
  

   being 
  necessary 
  because 
  the 
  forging 
  is 
  practically 
  never 
  raised 
  quite 
  to 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  of 
  the 
  mould. 
  

  

  The 
  ringer 
  drops 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  iron 
  rings 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  billet 
  (which 
  increases 
  

   the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  mould 
  and 
  prevents 
  the 
  rising 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  forging 
  sailing 
  

   over 
  outwards) 
  and 
  removes 
  them 
  as 
  the 
  forging 
  rises 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  mould. 
  She 
  

  

  vol. 
  xoi. 
  — 
  B. 
  F 
  

  

  