[Report 1893] / Medical Officer of Health, Sheffield City.

  • Sheffield (England). City Council.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1893] / Medical Officer of Health, Sheffield City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/78 (page 26)
    Although the practicability of securing notification of all cases is doubtful, it is generally admitted that the exercise of precautions by persons suffering from the disease, both at their own homes and in public places, is highly desirable, and likely to prove advantageous in limiting the spread of the disease. PLUMBISM. Six deaths were registered as directly due to lead poisoning, and from the following list it will be seen that five were males and one female. The latter acquired the disease five years ago, during the time so many persons were affected by the condition of the water supply. Four of the men were workers in the file trade, and acquired the disease in the usual way. Date. Name. Sex. Age. Occupation. Cause of Death. 1893 Mar. 1 E. W. M. 33 File Cutter Plumbism, Bright’s Disease. April 14 E. S. F. 43 — Plumbism, Chronic Nephritis, Uraemia. May 25 E. P. M. 52 Metal Smith - Plumbism, Nephritis. July 17 J. H. G. M. 33 File Cutter Plumbism, Chronic Bright’s Disease, Oct. 29 H. D. M. 38 File Hardener Uraemia. Plumbism, Purpura, Haemorrhage. ■ Dec. 20 J. H. L. M. '34 File Cutter Plumbism, Morbus Cordis, Dropsy. NEEvbuS SYSTEM. Diseases of the Nervous System accounted for 950 deaths, as against 901 imthe previous year. Nearly half of the deaths in this class were due to convulsions, and occurred under 5 years of age, 357. being infants under 1 year. Apoplexy claimed 245 victims, of whom 124 were males, and 121 females. EESPIEATOEY DISEASES. The two most fatal diseases under this head were, of course. Bronchitis and Pneumonia, the former causing 944, and the latter 767 deaths, while in both instances about one-third of the deaths occurred in children under 5 years of age. DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Also show an increase over the previous year, but this is chiefly due to the large number of deaths registered from Enteritis. This fact is significant when we remember that infantile diarrhoea was prevalent during the summer; and one is inclined to the belief that many so-called cases of Enteritis would have been classified more correctly under the heading “Diarrhcsa.” This view is strengthened by observing that 93 out of the 154 deaths from Enteritis occurred in infants under one year of age. UNCEETIFIED DEATHS AND INQUEST CASES. Sheffield again, unfortunately, occupies a conspicuous position amongst the “large towns,” for the great number of uncertified deaths and the comparatively few inquests held. There were 261 deaths uncertified, or 3'5 of the total, while there were only 279 inquest cases or 3‘8 per cent, of the total deaths.