This historical account, covering the 1890s to 1969, includes the emergence of medical, and then official, concern about the three diseases related to asbestos (asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma), the legislative process during and after the 1930s, and the impact of the 1931 Asbestos Industry Regulations. The availability of much previously unexamined material, including copious government records, combined with unimpeded access to the vast archive of documents kept by the leading British asbestos manufacturer, Turner and Newall, have enabled Dr. Bartrip to provide a comprehensive examination of this important medico-legal question, and to give a unique insight into occupational health and its regulation in twentieth century Britain.