Dr Frank Seymour's report to the Local Government Board on the occurrence of lead poisoning in the Urban District of Guisborough, and its relation to the public water supply.

  • Seymour, Frank.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr Frank Seymour's report to the Local Government Board on the occurrence of lead poisoning in the Urban District of Guisborough, and its relation to the public water supply. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    i Ava8 variously described as ‘colicky,’ ‘gnawing,’ or ‘as if bowels were tied togetlier.’ Often it was found to be worse in l)cd f)r when hungry. Consiipation.—This was usually a j)ro]iounced symptom, although in some cases diarrlima was found to exist. Notwithstanding the prevalence and severity of constipation, I do not think that as much weight should be attached to it as to certain other symptoms : for in a given number of persons, two thirds of whom are females, a considerable degree of constipation may exist without receiving much attention. On the occurrence, however, of other illness in the individual, constipation, till then disregarded, is likely to be brought forward as a noteworthy symptom. In certain of the cases visited, indeed, I was informed by the patient that a state of costiveness was usual, but in others I was assured that it was a new symptom commencing at the time of the illness in question. Headache was very common and usually of a severe character. Its site was either in the occipital region extending downwards into the neck ; across the vertex ; or, less frequently, in the frontal region. Neuralgic pains were also of common occurrence among those visited. They appear more frequently to have affected the lower than the upper limb, and were often referred to the joints or to the long bones. General weakness and inability to work were much complained of. That these are entirely subjective complaints, lending themselves readily to malingering of the crudest type, cannot be denied. On the other hand, I could hardly attribute malingering to such persons as widows who had to support themselves, or fathers of families for whom the loss of a number of daj^s’ work is serious and much felt, or women who, though accustorned to do their own house work, were unwillingly compelled to call in assistance for the performance of duties ordinarily readily carried out. AncBmia.—The presence of annemia alone is of little importance. It was, however, observed not only in the younger women in whom antemia is common, but also in men, matrons and children, and I was struck, in walking through the town, by the large pro]^ortion of persons met with Avho appeared anaemic. This apparent ]n*eva- lence, and the fact that it was often found in conjunction with other suspicious symptoms, give anaemia some diagnostic* value. Miscellaneous complamts, such as bad taste in the mouth, sweat- ing, drowsiness and lassitude were also complained of in a number of the patients seen. Weakness of various muscles was met with, and generally many of the cases recalled the observation of the Medical Oiticer of the Board (Supplement to the 38th Annual Report, A])pendix A., No. 10). “ Apart from definite recognisable “symptoms” . . . “ the frequent ingestion of minute doses of lead “ into the system causes lassitude, inability to work, and aniemia ; “ and is probably the cause of much inefficiency and ill-health in “ persons who themselves, and whose medical :ittendants, are “ unaware of the cause of the chronic ill-health from which they a suffer. 5?