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

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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26 October 1912.] 831. How long after you first saw the indication of this swelling was anything done to it? Did you have to go under an operation ?—I went on several years and had an operation on my own without making any complaint whatever to the society. I went to to the General Hospital and I was under Dr. Anderson. 832. Is he alive?—Yes. Dr. Anderson operated on me, and I was out 13 weeks. 833. Thirteen weeks in all ?—Yes, that particular time ; that was the first operation. 834. Did you tell your master or foreman, or anybody ?—No, not at the time. 835. But they knew that you were away for some- thing P—Yes, they knew I was away, but I did not tell them exactly till I came back; then it got blown about. They got to know and I had to explain; but the case of this Dupuytren’s Contraction was in its infancy. Nobody seemed to know anything about it. 836. It had not got that name then ?—No, certainly not. ; 837. The employer and the forman knew when you came back that there was sumething wrong with your hands ?—Yes. 838. What was done at the hospital? Was it cutting something off and straightening your finger ? —I went under an operation and this palm of the hand was opened, and I expect the guide or tendon, or what- ever they call it, was stretched. 839. The doctor did not cut the finger off then ?— No, that was the second operation. 840. You went back to work ?—I went back to work and it panned out as Dr. Anderson told me, that I should have to come back. 841. He told you that, did he?—Dr. Anderson said, ‘‘ You will be a clever man to keep it in that “ position for long if you follow a gripping employ- *“ ment.” I went once a week after I got healed up and he examined it and I said, “ Doctor, it is going again.” He said, “ Yes, you area very lucky man to “ keep it in that position if you follow your trade.” That is the gripping. 842. How long after you returned to work did the trouble begin again ?—I was working under difficulties I might say from the very time I resumed, and it was a matter of about five years. 843. Then you had to go back to the hospital ?— I did not go to the hospital; but I made a complaint to our society and the result was that the Secretary, who was not Mr. Wardle at that time, and the Council decided to send me to Dr. Robinson to be examined. 844. Where does he live >—He is in Regent Street ; he was in Woolaton Street then. 845. In Nottingham ?— Yes, the result of that interview was that I should go to London to see Dr. Burghard, of Harley Street. 846. You went to him and he saw your hand ?— Yes. 847. What did he say ?—Of course I went up with the Secretary to be thoroughly examined, and he said he thought he could improve it very greatly. But after being through one operation and it failing, I was not going through the next. But eventually I did, with the result he said he could make my little finger all right or improved. Iwas sent by the society and operated on on the following Saturday to the Friday I went up. 848. Did Dr. Burghard operate himself ?—Yes, over the guiders. Unfortunately after I came out from the chloroform I found my little finger doubled up while I was in the hospital, and I called the nurse and said, “This is not right.’ She said, “I am very “ sorry; Dr. Burghard is coming to-morrow; he will ‘“ explain.” So he came on the Sunday morning, and he said it was much worse than he anticipated, and there was nothing for it; he could do nothing with it. I said, “‘ Why did not you take it off,” and he said, ‘‘ We ** dare not take people’s limbs off. It would be better “ off,” and I said, “ Take it off.” With that a surgeon appointed at King’s College took it off. That was the result of going up there. 849. Since then you have been working of course ? ——-YV eR; [ Continued. 850. How long is it since the finger was taken off ? —Three years this March, I believe. . 851. Then you came back to Nottingham again having lost your little finger >—Yes. 852. Did you get work in the same factory ?—No, I was out of the trade close on 2} years. I was practically bred and born in the lace trade, and I could not find any other employment. I found a little easy job which I could manage with my hand. cy (Judge Ruegg.) Ave you in that position now ? —Yes. 854. Can you pull the levers ?—Yes, but 1 cannot pull levers of any size now. 855. Will you put out your hands? Was your third finger always the same ?—Yes, it was never straight. It was down here (right down). They took that off. I have got that back to a certain degree (third finger). I might say as a fair proof that this handling business causes this contraction, this side of the hand has been cut and carved about and is naturally very weak. That finger (‘ndex finger) had nothing the matter with it. But with that bemg very weak, I have played on it a little to do the extra work and now it has started (at the base of the finger). 856. Since the part of the hand below the ring finger has been diseased, you have brought the pressure to bear ?—On that finger which was good. 857. On the part of the hand below the first finger ? —Yes. 858. And that is showing evidences of this disease ? —It is showing evidences of the extra weight. I think that is very good proof. 859. (Chairman.) What is your other point ?—I was operated on, on both hands, in London. 860. At the same time ?—Yes, and I may say that that finger was the best job Dr. Burghard did (third It was practically here (right down). He opened the hand right down to here (middle of the palm). This finger is absolutely genuine and good. That finger is affected (second finger). He liberated both these. I have good use in both those, but unfortunately that is affected. 861. But you are able to do the work now fairly well ?—I am doing work in this respect. I am working a very simple and easy machine; but if it came that they wanted me to go on a larger and heavier machine, then I should be beaten. You understand what I mean, I should not be able to do my duty. 862. Have you ever suffered from rheumatism or gout ?—Until I had this operation in regard to this finger, I never had a week off in my whole life. 863. (Judge Ruegg.) You have had no rheumatism ? —No, never. 864. (Chairman.) Have you ever had a garden ?— No, I have not gripped a shovel. 865. You have not even been a fisherman ?-—-No; I am a little bit too excitable to be a fisherman. 866. Did the employer or foreman know of all these operations on your hands, because you had a great many from time to time?—I went through three operations. Of course they knew, but this case had not been probed into. I was the first ever to bring it before the Lace Makers’ Society, and naturally everyone was wondering what was the matter. I did not talk about it too much for fear I might get a kind of boycott in the trade. That is where it was, and that is what unfortunately men are suffermg now. They do not say anything, because if their employers get to know they are standing about light. That is where the thing comes in. 867. (Judge Ruegg.) You are engaged in work now with some firm, are you not ’—Yes. 868. Do you think if you were to lose your employ- ment for any reason, any other firm in Nottingham would take you on with your hands in that state ?—I question if they would. As a matter of fact, this is only rumour, and probably I ought not to talk about rumours, but it is said that certain employers in Nottingham before they engage a man want to have a look at his hands. 869, Now ?—At the present time,

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