Report to the secretary of state for the home department on the causes of death in colliery explosions and underground fires, with special reference to the explosions at Tylorstown, Brancepeth and Micklefield / by John Haldane.

  • John Scott Haldane
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the secretary of state for the home department on the causes of death in colliery explosions and underground fires, with special reference to the explosions at Tylorstown, Brancepeth and Micklefield / by John Haldane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    44/52 (page 34)
    t APPENDIX A. Number. Post Mortem Appearances and Causes of Death of those Killed at Tylorstown Explosion. Description. Cause of Death. Engine-driver. Body and hands burnt. Hair and whiskers singed Ostler. Back of head and right side of face covered with coal dust and singed. Lips and nails bluish (not pink). Extensive scalp wound behind, and probable fracture of skull. Spinal column dislocated in dorsal region. Fracture of left humerus, and dislocation of right shoulder. [Found in stable, beside a number of living horses and a companion who escaped. Injuries probably due to violent contact with the timbering of the stalls, and to the kicking of the horses.] Collier.f Body pale. Lips, tongue, and uails pink. No burns or injuries 4 Ostler. No injuries or burns. Skin pale. Lips, tongue, and nails pink 5J Collier. No burns or injuries. Nails pink. Lips, &c. pale pink 6 Collier. No burns or injuries. Skin pale. Lips, tongue, and nails pale pink 7 Collier. No burns or injuries. Skin pale. Lips pale pink, tongue and nails pink. Collier. No burns or injuries. Some patches of pink on chest. Lips carmine- red. Nails pink. 9 Labourer. No burns or injuries. Pink flush on chest and neck. Lips pink - 10 Collier. No burns or injuries. Skin pale. Lips, tongue, and nails pale pink - 11 Labourer. No burns or injuries. Tongue and lips pink ... 12 Collier. No burns or injuries. Skin pale. Lips and tongue pink. Hcemo- globin of blood from left external jugular vein found to be 79 per cent, saturated with carbon monoxide. 13 Collier. No burns or injuries. Skin pale. Lips, tongue, and nails pink 14 Labourer. No burns or injuries. Tongue, lips, and nails, pink 15 Collier. Body covered with a layer of adherent coal dust, and scorched super- ficially. Lower jaw fractured. Lips bright red. IB Collier. Body covered with adherent coal dust and superficially scorched. Tongue and lips coated with coal dust. Lips red beneath the dust. 17 Fireman. Marks of superficial burns on face, forearms, and hands. Super- ficial layer of epidermis on hand loosened. Under loosened epidermis carmine red colour seen very distinctly. IB Ostler. Hair singed. Scalp wound. Lips and nails pink 19 Haulier. No burns or injuries. Face and neck much congested. Lips reddish- blue. Tongue protruded and bluish. A network of distended reddish-blue veins prominent on upper part of chest. [No. 21, who was found irj the same stable, also presented these appearances, which might be caused either by poisoning with a higher percentage of carbon monoxide than was usually present, or by asphyxia from deficiency of oxygen along with carbon monoxide poisoning.] 20 Labourer. Fracture of humerus in both arms. Dislocation of right hip-joint. Bleeding from ear, and probable fracture of base of skull. Hair and eye- brows singed. Nails, &c. blue (not pink). 21 Ostler. No burns or injuries. Marked cyanosis of face and chest. Face dusky red. Nails bluish pink. Network of distended reddish-blue veins on upper part of chest. 22 Ostler. Face and hands somewhat scorched. No injury. Face pink all over 23 Collier. Slight singeing of side of face, hair, and whiskers. Lips pale pink - Carbon monoxide poisoning ? Violence. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning and deficiency of oxygen. Violence. Carbon monoxide poisoning and want of oxygen. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning. * The numbers correspond with those marked on the plan produced at the inquest (see Mr. Robson's special report). The names are purposely not added. With the exception of Nos. 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 28, 36, 37, 47, 48, which had previously been examined by Dr. Morris alone, the bodies were examined by both Dr. Morris and myself. In two or three cases where the colour of the blood was not noted the most probable cause of death has been assigned. t Nos. 3, 11, 12, 13, and 14 were found lying dead together, with two lamps burning beside them. J Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 were found dead together, with a lamp burning beside them.