III. PROPORTIONATE MORTALITY OF TOOL-MAKERS FROM PHTHISIS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES, SHEFFIELD, 1890-1907. IV. PROPORTIONATE MORTALITY OF FILE-CUTTERS FROM PHTHISIS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES, SHEFFIELD, 1890-1907. *File-cutting as carried on in Sheffield in the past by hand methods has exposed the cutters to lead poisoning, or plumbism, to such a degree that this factor alone has called forth many and extended comments by qualified inquirers. These observations have extended over a long period, and have been made by various English authorities, including Drs. Holland, Greenhow, Hall, White, Thomson, Arlidge, Littlejohn, Robertson, Scurfield, Oliver, and others. The subject of lead poisoning in this connection is such a large one that it will be worth while to give it special consideration in a future note. The figures in Table I. do not indicate that there has been any marked improvement in the mortality from consumption and respiratory diseases among the grinders of Sheffield during the period 1890 to 1907. In fact, as a rule with few exceptions, the proportionate mortality from consumption and from consumption and respiratory diseases combined was higher at all ages during the six years 1902-07 than during either of the other six-year periods. On the other hand, the mortality from respiratory diseases, when considered separately, seems to have declined fairly constantly at all ages or divisional periods of life. Table II. shows that the proportion of the total mortality due to consumption has increased among the cutlers of Sheffield at all ages over 25. The proportionate mortality from respiratory diseases has increased at ages under 35 and decreased quite considerably at ages 35 and over. Combining the mortality from consumption and respiratory diseases, the proportionate mortality from the two was higher during the period 1902-07 than during 1890-95 at ages under 35 and lower at ages 35 and over. The proportionate mortality of tool-makers from consumption and respiratory diseases has, on the whole, showed improvement during the eighteen-year period under observation. The age period 25-34 is the only exception when both causes are combined. When consumption only is considered, the improvement was more noteworthy during the period 1896-1901 than during 1902-07. In fact, the proportionate mortality from consumption was lower among tool-makers during 1902-07 than during 1890-95 at ages under 25, 35-44, and 65 and over, and higher at ages 25-34, 45-54, and 55–64. The proportionate mortality of file-cutters has not improved from consumption, but was higher at all ages, except 25-34, during 1902-07 than during 1890-95. On the other hand, there was a quite general improvement in the proportionate mortality from respiratory diseases. Summarizing the four preceding tables they seem to indicate that, if there has been an improvement in the death-rate from all causes among grinders, cutlers, tool-makers, and file-cutters in Sheffield during 1890-1907, the improvement has not been due to any considerable reduction in the mortality from consumption, or, at any rate, the mortality from consumption has not declined in proportion to all causes, for, as a rule, the proportionate mortality from consumption was higher during 1902-07 than during 1890-95. The apparent general improvement in the mortality from respiratory diseases is quite noticeable in all the tables, and it is possible that in recent years deaths may have been reported as phthisis that would formerly have been reported as bronchitis or some other respiratory disease. In the following table, comparison is made of the proportionate mortality of grinders, cutlers, tool-makers, and file-cutters from consumption and respiratory diseases. To clearly indicate the excessive mortality in these Sheffield trades from diseases of the lungs and air passages, the corresponding proportionate mortality for all occupied males in England and Wales as reported in the Supplement to the Sixty-fifth Report of the Registrar-General is given in the last column. COMPARATIVE PROPORTIONATE MORTALITY, SHEFFIELD, PHTHISIS. All Occupied Ages. Grinders. Cutlers. Tool-makers. File-cutters. Males, England and COMPARATIVE PROPORTIONATE MORTALITY, SHEFFIELD, PHTHISIS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES. All Occupied Cutlers. Tool-makers. File-cutters. Males, England and Wales, 1900-02. This table requires little comment. It shows that persons employed as grinders, cutlers, tool-makers, and file-cutters, are considerably more liable to death from some disease due to, or accelerated by, dust inhalation than would be expected on the basis of the mortality of all occupied males in England and Wales. The statistics point unmistakably to the causes of the high mortality of these classes or groups of workmen, and they indicate the need of greater precautions and more effective safeguards against the inhalation of the metallic and mineral dusts peculiar to the trades specified. In conclusion I may again* point out that there are many cities and towns in the United States where one or more industries, more or less hazardous or health-injurious, are centralized. For example: Trenton and Perth Amboy, N.J., and Circleville, Ohio, are pottery centres; Orange, N.J., and Danbury, Conn., are felt-hat making centres; Barre, Vt., among other cities, is a centre for stone-cutting; White Mills, Pa., and Corning, N.Y., for glass-cutting; Amsterdam, Cohoes, and Middletown, N.Y., for the knitting industry; Philadelphia, Pa., for carpet mills; Fall River and New Bedford, Mass., for cotton and woollen textiles; Paterson, N.J., for silk goods; Pittsburg, Pa., for iron and steel products; Minneapolis, Minn., for the flour industry, and Key West, Fla., for the manufacture of cigars and cigarettes. If the local authorities in such cities and towns would "The Mortality from Consumption in Small Cities," Quarterly Publications of the American Statistical Association, December, 1907. |