Epidemiology, old and new / [William H. Hamer].

  • Hamer, William Heaton, 1862-1936.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Epidemiology, old and new / [William H. Hamer]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with marked increase of prevalence in a number of cities. The phenomenon rather bears out similar observations in this country, which show that meteorological con¬ ditions operate even more conspicuously in “ trailers ” than in the pandemic prevalence. Dr. Richter, as might perhaps have been anticipated, finds clearer indication of correlation between high pressure and pneumonia than between high pressure and influenza. He regards his pressure curves as quite reliable, but agrees (p. 9) that the figures giving pneumonia mortality are not free from error and, he says, “ perhaps a reduction in the mortality line, since 1900, is to^ be attributed somewhat to the policy of the ‘ Census/ of eliminating many cases of pneumonia, that had been classified under ‘ primary cause of death.’ ” He agrees, moreover, that “ Mean figures may be extremely mis¬ leading in certain years.” In his Table 4, on p. 21, which relates to “ Influenza and pneumonia pandemics ” and periods of high and low “ Air pressure,” out of nine groups of years in which the findings are compared, in only one, the first (1831-41), does there appear to be a striking positive correlation ; as regards the second and third groups, the pandemic year 1847 comes just between low and high pressure periods, the fourth group occurs in a low pressure period without pandemics, the fifth, sixth and seventh are not specially remarkable, the eighth resembles the fourth, and the ninth (1902-1920) is classed as a “ definite period of increasing high pressure,” with the pandemics 1918- 1920 occurring at its close. Dr. Richter notes further,