Dr. Ballard's interim report to the Local Government Board on an inquiry at Middlesbrough and its neighbourhood, as to an epidemic of so called "pneumonia", but which was infact a specific "pleuro-pneumonic fever" / [Edward Ballard].

  • Ballard, Edward, 1820-1897.
Date:
1889
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Ballard's interim report to the Local Government Board on an inquiry at Middlesbrough and its neighbourhood, as to an epidemic of so called "pneumonia", but which was infact a specific "pleuro-pneumonic fever" / [Edward Ballard]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    present decade Middlesbrough has grown with mushroom-like rapidity, and during the same period the other townlets mentioned have practically risen into existence. All this rapid growth has been the result of the rapid development of the iron and steel manufacturing industry in the Cleveland district. It is the principal industry of the whole district, and the vast majority of the houses in all parts are consequently of the class adapted to the requirements of a large labouring population and their families. This population is rough, partly nomadic, not addicted to sobriety, and often reckless in its habits of life. On my arrival at Middlesbrough I found that the state of affairs had not been exaggerated. The fatality of the malady had been unusually high for “ pneumonia ” as medical men have of late years been in the habit of seeing it; and (according to the statements of medical practitioners in Middles¬ brough) very much higher than the fatality of pneumonia observed in that town in former years. Some of the local medical practitioners held that it was a new form of disease, and popularly it had come to be designated “ the new disease.” There were various surmises put forth as to its cause, and even in the profession there were diversities of opinion. One explanation largely and indeed principally adopted by the labouring classes was that it was due to inhalation of fine dust proceeding from a new industry established at the North Eastern Steel Works, namely, the pul¬ verisation and sifting of the basic slag resulting from the manufacture of steel by the Grilchrist-Thomas process; and some of the medical men in Middlesbrough were inclined to entertain this notion. Others, and with them a majority of the medical practitioners, attributed the prevalence of the “ pneumonia ” to the extraordinary character of the season, to a remarkable prevalence of easterly winds and to the fogs and concurrent dampness of the atmosphere which resulted from the emanations of marsh land lying along the bank of the river east of the town. Some of the medical men felt sure that it was communicated directly by infection from person to person ; but the earlier instances adduced in support of this belief did not appear conclusive on the point. The epidemic period may be regarded as having extended over 24 weeks or 6 lunar months, viz.: from the week beginning January 29th, to the week ended Jnly 14th. I defer to my further and detailed report what has to be said about earlier and later occurrences of the malady. It will be seen, too, that in the present report I give consideration mainly to the broader aspects of the epidemic as it affected Middlesbrough and the three adjoining local board districts above specified, dealing with all four places as if they constituted parts of a single district. The following table shows the mortality from “pneumonia” among males and females, as well as irrespective of sex, for each four-weekly period during the epidemic, in the four urban sanitary districts severally and conjointly, together with the ages of the fatal cases distributed into four age-groups. Particulars as to meteorological conditions prevalent in each four-weekly period are added. [Of deaths under 15 years of age, the large majority were infants under five years of age, and of deaths at ages 15 to 45 years very few were under the age of 25 years.] Deaths from Pneumonia.* Deaths in Age- Groups (Years). Mean Meteorological Conditions (Albert Park, Middlesbrough). 4-Weekly Period ending Borough of Middles¬ brough. Local Board District, Ormesby. Local Board District, N ormanby. Local Board District, Eston. Total, 0- 15- 45- 65 upwards. Mean Temp. (Fahr.) Mean Range of Temp, (degrees.) Rain (ins.) No. of Rainy Days. Mean Direction of Wind. Feb.25 - M. P. 18 6 = 24 11 Frco M. F. 2 lr« 3 M. P. 3 1 = 4 M. P. 24 11 = 35 8 12 12 3 O 38*4 9-3 1-09 6 N;W„ N.E. March 24 • 40 8 = 48 -1 = 1 3 2 = 5 2 1 = 3 46 12 = 57 7 24 22 4 82-8 8-0 1-28 12 E„ N.E. April 21 - 34 8 = 42 — 3 - = 3 3 3 = 6 40 11 = 51 3 18 26 4 38-0 14-4 2-25 10 N.W., N.E., May 19 • 43 8 = 51 12 = 3 4 2 = 6 8 2 = 5 51 14 = 65 5 28 24 8 43-2 16-1 1-66 9 S.W. S.W., w. June 16 * 66 18 = 84 8 - = 3 9 2 =11 6 2 = 8 S4 22 = 106 9 41 39 14 50-4 19-9 1-48 9 Var. July 14 31 5 = 36 3 1 = 4 8 1 = 9 to 11 05 44 11 = 55 3 29 13 10 51-8 22-0 1-44 13 N.E., Var., S.W. 232 53=285 8 7 = 15 29 8 = 37 19 13 = 32 288 81 = 369 35 155 136 43 — — — — — * Deaths -which occurred in hospitals and among persons admitted for treatment into the Workhouse Infirmary have been entered in the districts from which the individual cases came. 22502708166