Oh my! I read this posting out loud to my 2 neighbors as we drank coffee together yesterday morning. Hearing the words out loud brought tears of memories and new understandings. Back in the 70s I worked in a hospital in Indiana where we were treating patients with Black Lung disease. If my ancestral line comes through Cornwall, I’m likely y to carry some of the particles that caused those illnesses back in the day. And, of course, some of my tears are tears of joy and gratitude when I read Bruce’s
articles, full of situations, compassion, adventure, curiosity, poetry, discovering how humans have struggled over the centuries
Thank you, Mom. The Burgess family, our direct ancestors, traces their line back to Truro, Cornwall. Thomas Burgess (c. 1580–1626) was the son of Thomas Burgess, a wealthy merchant who twice served as Mayor of Truro and represented the town in Parliament. The Burgess family had deep roots in Cornwall. Thomas's wife, Elizabeth Pye, was also born in Truro. Discovering these connections made my recent travels through Cornwall feel less like visiting a new place and more like returning to an ancestral home.
I was struck by how many lives have been affected by mining. As a pediatrician, I found myself wondering about the children and women who worked above ground. I wondered why in so many images, no protective ear, eye, or nose/mouth protection was visible.
The individuals we met who worked at the desk or led the tours all had ancestors who had worked at Geever. There was a pride for the work and a desire to have others know their history. They also noted the loss of health, fertility, and illness. The red dust from the work gave workers skin a false impression of health.
My sense was that the workers were the ones responsible for preserving their history, not the owners. My cynical thought is that the owners have moved on and don't choose to remember.
Thank you, Nancy. I was struck not only by the hardships and diseases endured by the miners, but also by the pride that miners and Cornish people still take in their contribution to mining and industry. I didn't set out to learn about mining on our trip to Cornwall, but, as you know, the story grabbed my attention. The history, ingenuity, and human experience behind it was impossible to ignore.
How true that in progress there is a cost at many levels in the human experience!
The companies that own these mines, unfortunately do not consider better ventilation, improved efficient removal of ore , waterproof clothing, and shorter shifts.
All the individuals working in the mines were set up for many illnesses… yes , the TB specific to the silica issue is devastating. However, I am sure they had poor immune systems to fight upper respiratory diseases due to their awful environmental situation.
It’s not the germ that kills us. It’s the terrain of our body that sets us up for our demise.
Their Environment and stress set up a negative situation for their bodies to withstand the awful situation.
It’s time to go down the rabbit hole of Germ / Terrane theory and educate ourselves as to why the body becomes diseased! Pasture ‘s germ theory has been with us for decades… unfortunately that’s not the whole story!
Set your priorities to understand how our bodies function, and learn about terrain and its impact on your health!
Catherine: Thank you. I agree. Numerous examples show how nutritional deficiencies or co-exposures make us more susceptible to toxic chemicals (e.g., folate deficiency and pesticides for autism spectrum disorder) or infectious agents (e.g., vitamin A deficiency and measles).
Oh my! I read this posting out loud to my 2 neighbors as we drank coffee together yesterday morning. Hearing the words out loud brought tears of memories and new understandings. Back in the 70s I worked in a hospital in Indiana where we were treating patients with Black Lung disease. If my ancestral line comes through Cornwall, I’m likely y to carry some of the particles that caused those illnesses back in the day. And, of course, some of my tears are tears of joy and gratitude when I read Bruce’s
articles, full of situations, compassion, adventure, curiosity, poetry, discovering how humans have struggled over the centuries
Thank you, Mom. The Burgess family, our direct ancestors, traces their line back to Truro, Cornwall. Thomas Burgess (c. 1580–1626) was the son of Thomas Burgess, a wealthy merchant who twice served as Mayor of Truro and represented the town in Parliament. The Burgess family had deep roots in Cornwall. Thomas's wife, Elizabeth Pye, was also born in Truro. Discovering these connections made my recent travels through Cornwall feel less like visiting a new place and more like returning to an ancestral home.
I was struck by how many lives have been affected by mining. As a pediatrician, I found myself wondering about the children and women who worked above ground. I wondered why in so many images, no protective ear, eye, or nose/mouth protection was visible.
The individuals we met who worked at the desk or led the tours all had ancestors who had worked at Geever. There was a pride for the work and a desire to have others know their history. They also noted the loss of health, fertility, and illness. The red dust from the work gave workers skin a false impression of health.
My sense was that the workers were the ones responsible for preserving their history, not the owners. My cynical thought is that the owners have moved on and don't choose to remember.
Thank you, Nancy. I was struck not only by the hardships and diseases endured by the miners, but also by the pride that miners and Cornish people still take in their contribution to mining and industry. I didn't set out to learn about mining on our trip to Cornwall, but, as you know, the story grabbed my attention. The history, ingenuity, and human experience behind it was impossible to ignore.
Fascinating.
In reading this sadness overcame me !
How true that in progress there is a cost at many levels in the human experience!
The companies that own these mines, unfortunately do not consider better ventilation, improved efficient removal of ore , waterproof clothing, and shorter shifts.
All the individuals working in the mines were set up for many illnesses… yes , the TB specific to the silica issue is devastating. However, I am sure they had poor immune systems to fight upper respiratory diseases due to their awful environmental situation.
It’s not the germ that kills us. It’s the terrain of our body that sets us up for our demise.
Their Environment and stress set up a negative situation for their bodies to withstand the awful situation.
It’s time to go down the rabbit hole of Germ / Terrane theory and educate ourselves as to why the body becomes diseased! Pasture ‘s germ theory has been with us for decades… unfortunately that’s not the whole story!
Set your priorities to understand how our bodies function, and learn about terrain and its impact on your health!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
God bless!
Catherine: Thank you. I agree. Numerous examples show how nutritional deficiencies or co-exposures make us more susceptible to toxic chemicals (e.g., folate deficiency and pesticides for autism spectrum disorder) or infectious agents (e.g., vitamin A deficiency and measles).
Mining is one industry I support the takeover of labor by robots.