Mr. John Spear's report to the Local Government Board upon the so-called "woolsorters' disease" as observed at Bradford and in neighbouring districts in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

  • Spear, John.
Date:
1881
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mr. John Spear's report to the Local Government Board upon the so-called "woolsorters' disease" as observed at Bradford and in neighbouring districts in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    acute affections. Amongst the general population the corresponding proportion is not more than 32 per cent. The evidence that is obtainable as to individual deaths amongst woolsorters points strongly in the same direction. I have elsewhere stated my reasons for not looking lightly upon the opinion formed by the men themselves as to the nature of these sudden attacks amongst their comrades; and the information given below, the registered causes of such deaths as were returned by the men of certain factories as due in their opinion to “Wool- sorters disease,” is suggestive often of causes of fatality at any rate other than those officially recorded. [This return is from three factories only. For although I have the necessary return from the factory at Queensbury, the registered causes of death in this district have not been supplied me. The cases are, of course, as they were given, none being excluded.] Registered Causes of Fifty-four Deaths believed by the Woolsorters to have been due to the “ Woolsorters Disease.” Saltaire. Messrs. Mitchell Brothers. Messrs. Mitchell & Shepherd. Years, 1872—Sept. 1880. Years, 1874 Sept. 1880. Years, 1869—Sept. 1880. 26 deaths. 21 deaths. 7 deaths. Age. Registered Cause; Duration. Age. Registered Cause; Duration. Age. Registered Cause ; Duration. 46 Not known. 31 Pneumonia, 3 days. 32 Bronchitis, 3 days. 45 Bronchitis; heart disease. 21 Cerebral meningitis, 10 43 Perforation of stomach. 57 Morbus cordis, bronchitis, days; pneumonia, 7 days. 55 Herpes zoster. 3 days. 38 Spasmodic closure of 21 Erysipelas of face and head, 35 Enteritis, collapse. trachea. 4 days ; convulsions and 66 Bronchitis, 4 days. 43 Emphysema and bronchitis, asphyxia: metastasis to 42 Congestion of lungs, 4 days. mitral regurgitation. brain, 4 hours. 33 Pneumonia. 26 Pneumonia, 9 days. 41 Pneumonia. 41 Bronchitis. 50 Acute gastritis, 4 days. 44 Blood poisoning. 31 Heart disease. 21 Encephalitis, 10 days. 43 Blood poisoning. 45 Pneumonia, collapse. 25 Pneumonia, 6 days. 26 Do. 10 days. 30 Not known. 47 Woolsorters disease, 30 27 Sorter’s disease, infection hours. from mohair, 12 days; 44 Acute bronchitis. double pneumonia, 5 32 Congestion of lungs, 2 days. days. 40 Natural causes. 26 Pyaimia, caused by 54 Pneumonia, 4 days. breathing vitiated air 28 Do. 12 days. whilst sorting mohair. 25 Do. 3 days. 28 Bronchitis, 4 days. 57 Do. 2 days. 22 Broncho-pneumonia. 25 Do. 5 days. 48 Not known. 27 Woolsorters disease, 1 day. 23 Meningitis. 58 Poison from Alpaca, 18 60 Woolsorters disease (re- hours. lapse), 3 months and 21 Diffuse cellulitis (4 days), 8 days. exhaustion. 24 Pneumonia, 21 days ; peri- 47 Pneumonia, 9 days; gan- tonitis, 7 days. grene of lung. 46 Woolsorters disease. 45 Pneumonia. 70 Bronchitis.* 25 Pneumonia, 6 days. 30 Pneumonia.* 19 Woolsorters disease. * Found on post-mortem examination to be “ -woolsorters’ disease.” I have spoken of deaths from ill-defined causes as having swollen the mortality; and I wish to apply the term not only to those cases in which the nomenclature is in itself enigmatical (instances of which may be found in the above table), but also in regard to those cases in which the assigned cause of death is so rare as an idiopathic affection that we are compelled to regard its unduly frequent appearance in the death register as an indication that secondary and accidental lesions have been mistaken for funda¬ mental processes. And if we have reason to believe that a disease, which may often give rise to such secondary lesions, is prevalent, and to a great extent un¬ recognized, a well-founded suspicion may be entertained that in such disease will often be found the true cause of death. The following facts are peculiarly suggestive, having regard to the symptomatology of the disease under consideration (see appropriate section) of such a conclusion in this case :—Of the 455 deaths amongst sorters, from all