The control of tuberculosis in England, past and present / by G. Gregory Kayne.

  • Kayne, G. Gregory (George Gregory), 1901-1945.
Date:
1937
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The control of tuberculosis in England, past and present / by G. Gregory Kayne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cent, at the end of the century. After 1800 a drop again began, pulmonary tuberculosis representing 12 per cent, of the deaths in 1850 and 9 per cent, in 1910. Although these figures in themselves are not suffi¬ cient to indicate whether an increase or decrease in the tuberculosis mortality had occurred in the period reviewed here, Brownlee (1918), on other statistical evidence, expresses the belief that a long epidemic wave of phthisis had occurred, which reached a maxi¬ mum in the early years of the nineteenth century; and he shows that it cannot be attributed to changes in the general death-rate. He states: c As accurate populations do not exist prior to 1800 it has not been possible to show the course of the actual death-rates, but the proportionate mortality undoubtedly gives a result which is comparatively trustworthy. To my mind there is no doubt at all that the amount of phthisis in 1800 was very excessive, judged by present day standards . . . and the easiest explanation is that from the beginning of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century consumption increased in amount, and from the latter point steadily diminished. Though the increase in the proportionate mortality does not prove that the disease was increasing, or the decrease that it was decreasing, the probabilities that there was a large amount of phthisis in London in 1800 are very great. In the first period for which accurate statistics exist, namely that between 1840 and 1850, the amount of phthisis was about half of that I estimate for the earlier epoch, and from this point the decline is sufficiently well proven.’ From 1850 onwards more or less accurate figures of pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis deaths for sex and age are available. Records do, however, also exist from 1838, with the exception of the years 1843-6. It will be of interest to indicate the incidence at the beginning of this period and at the beginning
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