Statistical report of 5700 cases of ear diseases : classified by age, sex, occupation and disease, causation / by S.S. Bishop.

  • Bishop, Seth Scott, 1852-1923.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistical report of 5700 cases of ear diseases : classified by age, sex, occupation and disease, causation / by S.S. Bishop. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    percentage of our clinical material. The North of Europe furnishes a far greater percentage of our popu- lation than the Southern portions. After considering the nationalities it will not be surprising when it is stated that the blondes exceed the brunettes in number. It was observed also that the nervous temperament was the prevailing one. Another matter of interest to the etiologist, and to the student of sociology as well, was the conspicuous absence of baldness among these people, for cold draughts of air on heads deprived of Nature’s covering are considered as being a prolific cause of catarrh, by some authorities. This brings us to a consideration of the last topic of this paper: climatic causes. In speaking of cli- matic conditions as standing in a causative relation to ear-diseases, it should be understood that refer- ence is had to those atmospheric conditions which are characteristic of Chicago and its vicinity, although they may not be peculiar to it. A sudden great fall of temperature, accompanied with increased humid- ity of the air, is usually followed by an increase in the number of new patients with acute diseases of the ear, and of chronic cases with acute symptoms. These effects of atmospheric variations occur with such uniformity that we may predict an increase or decrease in the number of acute diseases with a reasonable degree of accuracy by observing the me- teorological variations. Our climate is rugged, but the people born and reared in it do not seem to par- take of its robust character. The altitude is low in the Mississippi Valley and the thermometric changes are sudden and great. It is not unusual for the ther- mometer to fall 2o° or 30° F., or more, in a few hours. Indeed, cold-waves sweep suddenly over the country in summer time, cooling the heated atmosphere so quickly and so thoroughly that one must needs change from summer to winter clothing with haste or suffer from the chilling winds. Add to these causes of great