Minutes of evidence of the departmental committee appointed to inquire and report whether the following diseases can properly by added to those enumerated in the third schedule of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906 : namely: (1) cowpox, (2) Dupuytren's Contraction, (3) Clonic spasm of the eyelids, apart from nystagmus, (4) writers' cramp.

  • Great Britain. Departmental Committee on Compensation for Industrial Diseases.
Date:
1913
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Minutes of evidence of the departmental committee appointed to inquire and report whether the following diseases can properly by added to those enumerated in the third schedule of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906 : namely: (1) cowpox, (2) Dupuytren's Contraction, (3) Clonic spasm of the eyelids, apart from nystagmus, (4) writers' cramp. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    12 October 1912.] = es = ee - a — we — Dupuytren’s contraction, and Dupuytren’s contraction in such a stage as caused incapacity. 149. (Chatirman.) During the last 20 years this man was suffering, you could have said at once, *‘ This is the “ first stage of this disease.” You would have known it was there the whole of the 20 years?—If he was correct in his statement, it was the same 20 years ago as when I saw it. 150. I think Dr. Legge was asking about workmen being dismissed. There is an interval of 20 years there in which the employer might say, “ I do not require your “ services,’ and escape any liability ?—Yes. 151. How did you take the various pulls of the lever ?—Mr. Hatock will ‘explain in detail, but I may say that we used a weight measure with a spring balance, and we attached this (producing instirwment) by a band over the lever. This is made for weighing work-people. By pulling we found out the utmost that was required in pulling the lever over. 152. (Judge Ruegg.) The standard of the pull varied very much ?—-There was a very great difference, from 5 to over 100. 153. And I gather that you are not without hopes that easy precautions might be taken which would lessen the liability to this disease P—I think there is _very great probability if the employers have their attention called to the matter, that they will take some steps to make the machines easier, and the handles of the machines better for the men’s palms. 154. (Chairman.) You saw nothing to account for a certain number of the workmen contracting the disease and others not—nothing in the difference of care or anything of. that kind with which the work was done ?—No, nothing at all. 155. And not that it was commoner in men em- ployed in any particular part of the works, or at any particular machine, or anything like that ?—The men frequently mentioned that they noticed the condition commencing when they were working a very heavy machine, which in many cases they had left on that account and moved to another machine to avoid working such a heavy one. 156. Is there a great difference in the percentage of this disease found in some lace factories as compared with others ?—Yes, there was, particularly I should say in Nottingham itself. I saw many more cases’ in ' — [ Continued. Nottingham than I did in Long Eaton, probably due to the fact that the trade is newer in Long Eaton, and younger people are employed, which means that there are a greater number seen under 40 than over, and also the fact that they had newer machines which ran easier and were better worked. As to South Scotland, where the trade is a much newer trade than it is in Nottingham, I made inquiries and received information that I should find a very small proportion of the men who were over 40, Therefore, the proportion of cases was hardly worth going to examine many hundreds of eases for. 157. (Judge Ruegg.) The scheduling of the disease may affect occupations in my district. Could Dupuy- tren’s contraction be confused with beat-hand ?—Not until the beat-hand becomes Dupuytren’s contraction. 158. When it zs Dupuytren’s contraction ?—A person with Dupuytren’s contraction might get beat- hand too. There is no reason why a person working with a contracted hand should not get an inflamed palm of the hand. 159. But would medical men be able to say clearly, “This is beat-hand and the other is Dupuytren’s contraction,” or is there a possibility of confusion ?— One is acute inflammation, and the other is chronic.’ 160. Beat-hand ?—Is acute inflammation. 161. It passes away ?—It passes away and is all right after a time. It is curable, and is done with. 162. Whilst it exists is there any chance of con- fusion >—No ; beat-hand is an acute condition. 163. You think any medical man could tell ?—Yes, I think so. I do not think there should be ‘any difficulty in distinguishing an acute case of beat-hand and a chronic condition of Dupuytren’s contraction. _ 164. (Sir Clifford Allbutt.) I suppose you could not say whether the improvement of these machines and the mitigation of the pull has made any difference to the incidence of this affection. There has not. been time enough, I suppose, to say ?—Only in so far as. this, that the workers in Long Eaton were less affected on the newer machines which were better looked after ; but many of them had been many years at Long Eaton. . (Chairman.) We are very much obliged to you for your evidence. Sir THomas OCxuirrorRD ALLBUTT, K.C.B. His Honour Jupcre Ruexae, K.C. Dr. Tuomas Morrison LEGGE: Mr. ARTHUR LOcKE (Secretary). and Plain Net.) 165. You are one of His Majesty’s Inspectors of Factories ?—Yes. 166. What is your division ?—Nottingham. 167. Does that include Long Eaton ?—No; Long Eaton is in Derbyshire. 168. But you went to the Long Eaton factories in connection with this Inquiry ?—Yes. 169. How long have you been Inspector ?—Just under 13 years. 170. As we know, you are the jomt author of this Report which has been submitted to us on Dupuytren’s contraction ?—Yes. . gh 171. To which part of this Report did you specially give your personal attention? —'To the mechanical A Arar Vis}