Statistics relating to mortality in the mercantile marine / report of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
- Date:
- 1932
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Statistics relating to mortality in the mercantile marine / report of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Source: Wellcome Collection.
46/102 page 44
![Return of Deaths on Vessels, etc., published by the Board of Trade. The figures presented in Table 8 of the present Report may be accepted as a more accurate representation of the mortality due to this cause for the year under review. 115. It will be seen that, All Ages considered, mortality due to this cause in the mercantile marine differs little, if at all, from that relating to “‘ Dock Labourers ’’, and ‘*‘ All Occupied and Retired Males’’. In two out of seven age-groups only is mortality higher among merchant seamen than among those engaged in shore occu- pations. It can hardly be concluded therefore that the seaman 1s particularly addicted to habits of intemperance, or that Alcoholism is excessively frequent as a cause of death among these men. General Observations. 116. Judged by the standard of the single year’s mortality ex- perience which the present investigation envisages, it may be said that service in the mercantile marine is no more inimical to life and health than are many of the occupations ashore frequently regarded as healthful ; indeed, in many instances, it has been shown the advantage distinctly hes with the seaman. It will have been observed, however (‘l'able 7) that deaths due to Drowning and Injury* among British seamen afloat account for 31.98, and 16.97 per cent. respectively of the total deaths due to All Causes; in other words, in the aggregate, these causes are fatal to more merchant seamen than are all diseases enumerated in the nomenclature. With a view to tracing the contributory circumstances responsible for these high mortalities, the data have been set out as follows :— TABLE 10. Deaths due to Drowning. Sea deaths: British seamen only. Deck Engine Room- Stewards Department. Department. Department. How Drowned. | : Officers.) P.O.’s |Sailors. ee © Sie otduais gineers.| men. ards. jratings. Washed Overboard ... 1 - 1] 1 1 — 3 Working ship 2 1 11 oe 1 — 1 Shipwreck, etc. 4 — 1] 8 4 6 2 Missing ; 5 1 8 2 11 it = Intoxicated ... A 1 — 12 3 15 6 1 Bathing, etc. see 1 — 5 4 3 5 2 Returning or leaving 1 — 3 ] 3 2 — the ship. Other causes... bos. 3 3 9 4 6 4 wi Totals ves ot 18 5 70 23 44 34 Bi Thousands in 1921 | 10:9 5-2 19:5 10°8 21:8 22-0 5-9 Census of Seamen. * See footnote, page 39.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32176338_0046.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
