Until recently, in the Federal Republic of Germany there has been a lack of epidemiological data on asbestos-related tumors. Only the numbers of occupational diseases accepted for compensation by the German industrial injuries insurance institutes (Berufsgenossenschaften) can be stated. These show, for 1979, 94 cases of asbestosis, 21 cases of asbestosis associated with lung cancer, and 34 cases of mesothelioma. Since 1972 employees exposed to asbestos dust have been included in a central register by the industrial injuries insurance institutes and are medically examined periodically. By December 31, 1979, 28,476 persons were registered. Of those, 6,582 were still being followed medically, although they were no longer working with asbestos dust exposure. In January 1, 1977, a prospective epidemiological study was started with these people who were formerly exposed to asbestos dust. Up to December 31, 1980, altogether 2,944 people were enrolled in the study. Besides several other enrollment criteria, the individual's permission was required to evaluate his personal data. Of the people enrolled, 85 had died by December 31, 1980. Even if five questionable cases of lung cancer are excluded (n = 80), the observed rates of about 43% tumours of all sites, with 15% lung cancer and 6% mesothelioma, seem to be comparable to the international epidemiological mortality pattern.

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18 untreated men with confirmed uncomplicated allergic bronchial asthma induced by flour were examined. In each patient, an attack of asthma was initially provoked by inhalatest tion and treated 40 min later. In a double-blind study, either 0.4 mg Th 1165a, the p-hydroxyphenyl derivative of orciprenaline, or an aerosol containing only propellant was used.The broncho-pulm’onary reaction was investigated by the technique of body plethysmography, the cardiovascular effects on the basis of the pulse rate and blood pressure.The following results were obtained: (1) the airway resistance and the endexpiratory thoracic gas volume were normalised within a maximum of 5 min; (2) the effect was maintained for at least 4 h and thus virtually as long as an acute, untreated uncomplicated allergic asthmatic attack; (3) 30–120 min after the administration of the drug, a maximum effect period was reached accompanied by specific conductance values which were higher than before the attack; (4) the bronchopulmonary therapeutic effect was significant as compared with the control group; (5) the pulse rate and the diastolic blood pressure were not influenced, and (6) the systolic blood pressure was depressed by about 10 mm Hg. The deviations were statistically not significant.All in all, the results indicate a largely selective broncho-spasmolytic effect via the stimulation of β₂-adrenergic receptors.