Mr. Spear's report to the Local Government Board upon the fatality from "croup", and other throat affections, in the Horwich regestration sub-district / [John Spear].

  • Spear, John.
Date:
[1889]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mr. Spear's report to the Local Government Board upon the fatality from "croup", and other throat affections, in the Horwich regestration sub-district / [John Spear]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Mr. Spear’s Report to the Local Government Board MT. ... — 1 upon the fatality from “Croup,” and other Throat Affections, in the Horwich Registration Sub-District. LIBRARY T I General Collections George Buchanan, Medical Department, June 27th, 1889. This district comprises the two urban sanitary districts of Horwich and Westhoughton, and one parish (Lostock) of the Bolton Rural Sanitary District. During the fourth quarter of 1887 and in 1888 a notable increase in the deaths from diphtheria was recorded by the Registrar General, so that the attention of the Board was directed to the matter. It appeared, however, upon my visit to the district that the majority of the deaths so classified had not been specifically registered, although afterwards recorded, under that head, but that most of them had been certified under the name of croup. It likewise appeared that an unusual number of deaths had been registered from “ tracheitis ” (a name used by one medical man at least in the district as a synonym of “ croup ”) and “ laryngitis,” and it was obvious that such cases would have to be taken into account for the purpose of my investigation. The relative . prevalence of these fatal throat affections during recent years, the distribution in the three sanitary divisions of the registration sub-district, and the exact local nomenclature, are shown in the table subjoined:— Regis¬ tration Sub- Dis¬ trict. Total. Horwich Urban Sanitary Dis¬ trict. Population (1881) 3,761; estimated (1888) 11,000. Westhoughton Urban Sanitary District. Population (1881) 9,197 ; estimated (18s8) 10,400. Lostock Parish (Bolton R.S.D.). Population (1881) 782 ; estimated (1888) 800. Period. Diphtheria. Croup. Tracheitis and Cynanche Trachealis. Laryngitis. Diphtheria. Croup. Tracheitis and Cynanche Trachealis. CC U. S3 B a Diphtheria. Croup. Tracheitis. Laryngitis. 1884 3 — — — 1 — 1 — — _ _ 1 1885 4 1 1 — — — 1 — i — 1886 6 — — — 3 1 1 — i — — - - 1887 13 — — 1 — — 8 3 i — — _ , 188S 27 1 3 4 3 3 10 — i — 2 _ _ 1889 (First Quarter.) 4 — — 1 2 — — i — — — — Total 67 2 4 6 8 6 21 3 5 — 2 1 — Exact clinical histories in these cases of “ croup,” tracheitis, and laryngitis were found to be very meagre. With one exception the subjects were& all young children, and in the majority of cases medical attendance was only obtained a few hours before the fatal termination. In three cases of “ croup,” membrane is said to have been visible, either on the pharynx or on expec¬ toration ; laryngoscopic examination, so far as I could ascertain, was not made; nor was albuminuria sought for. In the more obvious general symptomatology little differentiation was found possible between these fatal affections, whether described as croup, tracheitis, or laryngitis. In most of the cases there was a history of malaise for some few days before medical aid was obtained, the child being commonly supposed to be suffering from o 58727. 200—7/89. Wt. 3190. E. & S. A