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THE HEALTH OF NEW YORK
264 found on inquiry to have formerly worked responsibilities of the department are wide-ranging, pneumatic machine. In some cases ossification as will be seen from the fact that the statistics of In New was present in other neighbouring muscular attach- motor-car accidents come under its eye. ments-viz., the insertions of biceps, triceps, and York deaths from motor-car accidents reached a brachialis anticus ; as Meiss points out, these are peak in 1929, and in the last three years have shown the muscles which fix the elbow-joint, and are some decline, which the department of health believes. necessarily exposed to intermittent increase of tension can be credited to the greatly increased number of with each vibration of the machine. In several cases signal lights installed and the extensive campaign there were arthritic manifestations in the carpo- of education in street safety inaugurated by the metacarpal joint of the thumb which Meiss claims police department in many of the schools of the city.
who with
was a
to be the first to describe. The thumb is used to grasp the lever controlling the machine, and the joint is thus directly exposed to the vibrations. In one case the right acromio-clavicular joint was affected, in a man who had been accustomed to steady his tool against the right shoulder. Of other conditions ascribed to the use of pneumatic drills, including necrosis of the semilunar bone and arthritis of the sterno-clavicular and shoulder-joints, no examples were found in the present series. The clinical features included pain in the elbow-joint, which is the joint most commonly affected, the pain " coming on after ceasing’ work (the " Ruheschmerz of German authors), and gradually disappearing when work was resumed ; also slight limitation of flexion and extension. There was little or no limitation of pronation and supination; creaking was rarely, slight muscular atrophy frequently, observed. It is emphasised that none of the men had previously complained of the pain, and that there is practically no disability connected with the condition. Where other joints were affected, similar clinical features were noted. Meiss concludes that the evidence points to a probable connexion between joint lesions and the use of pneumatic drills, but that further investigation is required before it can be regarded as proven.
THE HEALTH OF NEW YORK THE severe economic distress has begun to manifest itself in New York City, according to a report of the Health Commissioner for 1932, in an increase new cases of tuberculosis. Unless I conditions improve this increase in new cases will, z, without doubt, shortly be reflected by a rise in the death-rate from phthisis, though in 1932 the deathrate from this cause was actually distinctly lower than in the preceding years. Some of this increase in notified cases may rather be due to the admittedly extra zeal with which the department of health has intensified its work of discovering early cases, and to this extent the evidence against economic conditions is not completely convincing. A further consideration is that both the general (crude) deathrate (10-3 per 1000) and the infant mortality-rate (51 per 1000 live-births) reached in 1932 their lowest recorded levels. A cause of death that does suggest a distinct increase in prevalence in recent years is diabetes, the increase being especially pronounced among women over 45 years of age. The New York Academy of Medicine has appointed a special committee, in cooperation with the department of health, to consider this problem. Another similar committee, whose report will shortly be available, has been con-
in the number of
the maternal mortality-rate of the city. The rate registered for 1932 was as high as 6 per 1000 live births. The cost of the health department to New York was, in 1932, 68 cents per head, of which nearly one-third was devoted to child hygiene activities (covering both pre- and post-natal protection), and one-seventh each to the control of infectious diseases and to the supervision of food and drugs. The
sidering
CARBON MONOXIDE FROM PAINT ATTENTION was drawn not long ago to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning from the air of sealed compartments on board ship, and it was shown that the gas was derived from the linseed oil of the paint used in these compartments. Further investigations on this subject have been carried out by S. F. Dudley,. F. G. Edmed, and R. C. Frederick.l The materials used in the investigation were oxide of iron paint, red lead paint, aluminium paint, bituminous compositions, and two grease paints, one of which contained a small amount of linseed oil. These materials were
spread inside petrol tins which were then sealed for varying periods. After one, two, or three months’ storage the air from the cans was analysed, and its lethal effects estimated by biological experiments on mice. Linseed oil was again found to be the determining factor in the production of carbon monoxide ; the paint dries, oxygen is absorbed, and carbon monoxide is evolved. On board ship it seems that after painting and scaling, absorption of oxygen proceeds to such an extent as to produce an irrespirable atmosphere by the time the compartment is reopened. But at an earlier stage of the process sufficient oxygen for respiration may coexist with a dangerous quantity of carbon monoxide. A man entering such an atmosphere might breathe long enough to absorb a lethal dose of carbon monoxide ; this, therefore, is a dangerous period. The quantity of paint, or perhaps rather the surface area exposed, as well as the time during which the compartment has remained sealed, will determine whether the atmosphere will poison those entering with carbon monoxide, or drown "
"
them from lack of oxygen. to announce that Prof. William Phillips the well-known American gynaecologist, died at Boston on Jan. 25th at the age of 63. Professor of gynaecology at Harvard University and surgeon-inchief to the Boston Free Hospital for Women, Dr. Graves was the author of a text-book on his subject, and was one of the two recipients of the honorary Fellowship at the recent opening of the new house of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynoecologists. Subsequently he attended the tercentenary dinner of the Society of Apothecaries of London, and conveyed a courteous greeting from the branch of the profession which he represented.
WE
regret
Graves,
INDEX TO " THE LANCET," VOL. II., 1932 THE Index and Title-page to Vol. II., 1932, which completed with the issue of Dec. 31st, is now was in preparation. A copy will be sent gratis to subscribers on receipt of a post-card addressed to the Manager of THE LANCET, 7, Adam-street, Adelphi, London, W.C.2. Subscribers who have not already indicated their desire to receive Indexes regularly as published should do so now. 1 Jour. Indust.
Hyg., January, 1933, p. 1.
°
who with
was a
to be the first to describe. The thumb is used to grasp the lever controlling the machine, and the joint is thus directly exposed to the vibrations. In one case the right acromio-clavicular joint was affected, in a man who had been accustomed to steady his tool against the right shoulder. Of other conditions ascribed to the use of pneumatic drills, including necrosis of the semilunar bone and arthritis of the sterno-clavicular and shoulder-joints, no examples were found in the present series. The clinical features included pain in the elbow-joint, which is the joint most commonly affected, the pain " coming on after ceasing’ work (the " Ruheschmerz of German authors), and gradually disappearing when work was resumed ; also slight limitation of flexion and extension. There was little or no limitation of pronation and supination; creaking was rarely, slight muscular atrophy frequently, observed. It is emphasised that none of the men had previously complained of the pain, and that there is practically no disability connected with the condition. Where other joints were affected, similar clinical features were noted. Meiss concludes that the evidence points to a probable connexion between joint lesions and the use of pneumatic drills, but that further investigation is required before it can be regarded as proven.
THE HEALTH OF NEW YORK THE severe economic distress has begun to manifest itself in New York City, according to a report of the Health Commissioner for 1932, in an increase new cases of tuberculosis. Unless I conditions improve this increase in new cases will, z, without doubt, shortly be reflected by a rise in the death-rate from phthisis, though in 1932 the deathrate from this cause was actually distinctly lower than in the preceding years. Some of this increase in notified cases may rather be due to the admittedly extra zeal with which the department of health has intensified its work of discovering early cases, and to this extent the evidence against economic conditions is not completely convincing. A further consideration is that both the general (crude) deathrate (10-3 per 1000) and the infant mortality-rate (51 per 1000 live-births) reached in 1932 their lowest recorded levels. A cause of death that does suggest a distinct increase in prevalence in recent years is diabetes, the increase being especially pronounced among women over 45 years of age. The New York Academy of Medicine has appointed a special committee, in cooperation with the department of health, to consider this problem. Another similar committee, whose report will shortly be available, has been con-
in the number of
the maternal mortality-rate of the city. The rate registered for 1932 was as high as 6 per 1000 live births. The cost of the health department to New York was, in 1932, 68 cents per head, of which nearly one-third was devoted to child hygiene activities (covering both pre- and post-natal protection), and one-seventh each to the control of infectious diseases and to the supervision of food and drugs. The
sidering
CARBON MONOXIDE FROM PAINT ATTENTION was drawn not long ago to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning from the air of sealed compartments on board ship, and it was shown that the gas was derived from the linseed oil of the paint used in these compartments. Further investigations on this subject have been carried out by S. F. Dudley,. F. G. Edmed, and R. C. Frederick.l The materials used in the investigation were oxide of iron paint, red lead paint, aluminium paint, bituminous compositions, and two grease paints, one of which contained a small amount of linseed oil. These materials were
spread inside petrol tins which were then sealed for varying periods. After one, two, or three months’ storage the air from the cans was analysed, and its lethal effects estimated by biological experiments on mice. Linseed oil was again found to be the determining factor in the production of carbon monoxide ; the paint dries, oxygen is absorbed, and carbon monoxide is evolved. On board ship it seems that after painting and scaling, absorption of oxygen proceeds to such an extent as to produce an irrespirable atmosphere by the time the compartment is reopened. But at an earlier stage of the process sufficient oxygen for respiration may coexist with a dangerous quantity of carbon monoxide. A man entering such an atmosphere might breathe long enough to absorb a lethal dose of carbon monoxide ; this, therefore, is a dangerous period. The quantity of paint, or perhaps rather the surface area exposed, as well as the time during which the compartment has remained sealed, will determine whether the atmosphere will poison those entering with carbon monoxide, or drown "
"
them from lack of oxygen. to announce that Prof. William Phillips the well-known American gynaecologist, died at Boston on Jan. 25th at the age of 63. Professor of gynaecology at Harvard University and surgeon-inchief to the Boston Free Hospital for Women, Dr. Graves was the author of a text-book on his subject, and was one of the two recipients of the honorary Fellowship at the recent opening of the new house of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynoecologists. Subsequently he attended the tercentenary dinner of the Society of Apothecaries of London, and conveyed a courteous greeting from the branch of the profession which he represented.
WE
regret
Graves,
INDEX TO " THE LANCET," VOL. II., 1932 THE Index and Title-page to Vol. II., 1932, which completed with the issue of Dec. 31st, is now was in preparation. A copy will be sent gratis to subscribers on receipt of a post-card addressed to the Manager of THE LANCET, 7, Adam-street, Adelphi, London, W.C.2. Subscribers who have not already indicated their desire to receive Indexes regularly as published should do so now. 1 Jour. Indust.
Hyg., January, 1933, p. 1.
°