The contribution of the Clinica del Lavoro of Milan to the development of industrial hygiene and toxicology in the twentieth century

Abstract

In 1910, the founder of the Clinica del Lavoro of Milan, Luigi Devoto established a chemistry laboratory in the new institute, sustaining its importance in the study of occupational diseases. In 1948, the new director of the Clinica, Enrico C. Vigliani established the first laboratory of industrial hygiene in Italy, in the years of the economic boom. In 1960s, this laboratory, directed by Nicola Zurlo, significantly contributed to the research in the field. In 1980s and 1990s, the laboratory of the Clinica started to explore the field of environmental toxicology, studying the effects of benzene and other traffic pollutants on the general population. The analysis of history of the Clinica del Lavoro of Milan may represent a valuable tool for studying the origin and the development of industrial hygiene, occupational and environmental toxicology in the twentieth century.

Keywords:

• Clinica del Lavoro
• environmental toxicology
• history
• industrial hygiene
• industrial toxicology
• Milan

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the following individuals for all the information on the life of the laboratory of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology of the Clinica del Lavoro: Vito Foà, Lorenzo Alessio, Marina Buratti, Laura Campo, Paolo Carrer, Andrea Cattaneo, Domenico Maria Cavallo, Giancarlo Cesana, Angelo Maria Cirla, Antonio Colombi, Antonia Francesca Franchini, Rosario Giampiccolo, Giovanni Molteni, Oronzo Pellegrino, Gianfranco Peruzzo, Alessandro Porro, Carlo Sala, Franco Toffoletto, Rosario Trimarchi, Domenico Xais, Carla Valla. Finally, the authors thank the Archivio Edison (Centro per la cultura d’impresa) for photographic documentation.