brown lung

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a debilitating lung disease resembling emphysema, occurring among textile workers from inhalation of cotton dust.

---

Example Sentences

The Observer won a Pulitzer in 1981 for a series of stories on “brown lung” suffered by textile workers breathing in dust and in 1988 for reporting on the financial misdeeds at the Charlotte-area PTL television ministry led by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.

From Seattle Times

During the industrial revolution, byssinosis or brown lung disease, befell textile plant workers due to cotton or other fibers in the factory’s air.

From Scientific American

The textile industry, for example, opposed OSHA’s plan to crack down on cotton dust, which caused an often-lethal respiratory disease called byssinosis—brown lung.

From Slate

A review of the cotton dust standard, in particular, drew the ire of labor and triggered a vigil on behalf of brown lung victims in Washington.

From Slate

He suspended distribution of the Bingham films, which he deemed inflammatory, and ordered the withdrawal of a brochure whose cover included a poignant photo of a brown lung victim.

From Slate