Report of the Royal Commissioner on Pulmonary Diseases amongst Miners, together with Appendices and Minutes of evidence, Perth, 4th October, 1910.

  • Western Australia.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commissioner on Pulmonary Diseases amongst Miners, together with Appendices and Minutes of evidence, Perth, 4th October, 1910. 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.

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    So far as this table goes, then, the information it affords is that a man is very little more liable to tuberculosis because he is a miner than he would be if he were following any other occupation. It re- mains to be seen whether other sources of information agree with this result. This result, and the deduction provisionally drawn from at, must not be accepted as in any way final. A more accurate comparison than the one drawn would be that between the death-rates from tuber- culosis per 10,000 living of miners and of all males over fifteen years of age. This is considered later (see page 12). Bronchitis.—The figures for this disease are as follows: — Whole population of the State 1.89 p.c. All males . . .. . . . . 1.85 p.c. Males over lifteen years of age 1.68 p.c. Miners . . . . . . . . 2.12 p.c. Bronchitis as a cause of death operated to a greater extent amongst miners than amongst the whole popu- lation, and to an even greater extent than amongst males over fifteen years of age. Pneumonia.—The figures for pneumonia are as follows:— Whole population of the State 5.78 p.c. All males . . . . . . . . 6.32 p.c. Males over fifteen years of age 6.60 p.c. Miners .. .. .. .. 11.36 p.c. The percentage of deaths due to pneumonia is very much greater amongst miners than amongst males over fifteen, and is almost double that amongst the whole population. Pleurisy. — The figures for pleurisy are as fol- lows:— Whole population of the State 0.44 p.c. All males . . . . . . . . 0.47 p.c. Males over fifteen years of age 0.67 p.c. Miners . . .. . . . . 0.54 p.c. Pleurisy during the ten years produced a higher percentage of deaths amongst miners than amongst (lie general population, but a lower percentage than amongst males over fifteen. Congestion of the Lungs.—The figures for con- gestion of the lungs are as follows: — Whole population of the State 0.25 p.c. All males . . . . . . . . 0.24 p.c. Males over fifteen years of age 0.22 p.c. Miners ... . . . . . . 0.11 p.c. The term “congestion of the lungs” is a very in- exact one, and it is difficult always to attach any very clear interpretation to it. As a rule it means pneumonia, and is more often used in connection with the deaths of infants than those of adults. By reason of this inexactness, therefore, it is difficult to decide how much importance should he attached to the figures relating to it. With this reservation, the significance of the figures given above is that con- gestion of the lungs has produced during the last ten years a lower proportion of deaths amongst miners than amongst males over fifteen. Asthma and Emphysema.—The figures relating to these two diseases, considered as one group, are as follows:— Whole population of the State 0.23 p.c. All males . . . . . . . . 0.29 p.c. Males over fifteen years of age 0.46 p.c. Miners . . . . . . . . 0.65 p.c. These two diseases, therefore, have during the ten years produced a larger proportion of the total deaths amongst miners than amongst males over fifteen, and almost three times the proportion amongst the whole population. Gangrene. — This is so infrequent a cause of death (only one death having occurred from this cause during the ten years) that it may be left uncon- sidered. Other Diseases of the Respiratory System. —The figures for this comprehensive group are as fol- lows :— Whole population of the State 0.26 p.c. All males .. . . . . . . 0.33 p.c. Males over fifteen . . .. 0.47 p.c. Miners . ■ . . . . .. 2.61 p.c. Therefore ail the other diseases of the lungs not included in the above headings but included in the group “other respiratory diseases” have produced in the ten years a much greater proportion of the total deaths amongst miners than amongst the total popu- lation, and more than six times as great a proportion as amongst the males over fifteen. This points to an excessive incidence amongst miners of the diseases included in this comprehensive group. It might be expected that the explanation of the excess in this group would be found in the existence of some disease of the lungs more or less peculiar to miners. Is this so? If Table 6 (p. 22) be consulted it will be seen that a large proportion of the diseases specified belong to a class which may be all included in the pathological group of fibrosis of the lungs, and it is an already well-known fact that this pathological condition is most often found in those whose occupation exposes them to the inhalation of dust. The excessive incidence of asthma and emphysema is also significant in this connection, for emphysema is not infrequently one of the pathological types of, and asthma generally a symptom of, the condition produced in the lungs of miners by the continued in- halation of dust. The high proportion of deaths amongst miner’s due to this group of “other respiratory diseases” is thus provisionally explained. It will now be of interest to consider these results as revealed by a study of the proportion which deaths from various lung diseases present amongst the total number of deaths from all causes. The figures make it clear that during the past ten years, i.e. 1900-1909 inclusive, miners have been much more liable to die from lung diseases generally than the whole group of males over fifteen. Miners have been very little, if at all, more likely to die from tuberculosis than other males over fifteen. Bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma and emphy- sema have attacked miners to a very much greater extent than they have attacked other males over fifteen. The Same is tme of the group “other respiratory diseases,” which includes “fibrosis of the lung” in a large proportion. Pleurisy as a cause of death has been present in a slightly less proportion than in the group of males over fifteen. Congestion of the lungs is noticeably less preva- lent amongst miners than amongst males over fifteen; bid the caution mentioned above must be remembered. In attempting any interpretation of these results it must be borne in mind that the causes of death as certified frequently represent the terminal condition