Mortality among British veterinary surgeons.

A total of 3440 veterinary surgeons resident in Britain were followed up from 1949-53 until 1975. A roughly twofold increase in mortality from suicide was observed and also a decreased mortality from respiratory diseases. There was no excess of deaths from leukaemia or other cancers as recently reported from the United States and as implied by the hypothesis that veterinary surgeons are unusually exposed to oncogenic viruses.     

Mortality from heat during July 1966 in Illinois

During the period 10 to 14 July 1966, weather conditions in Illinois led to a 36% increase in deaths for the month over those that had occurred in July 1965. At Springfield, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri,Thom's temperature-humidity index (T H I) exceeded 29°C for several hours on each of these days, with a 24-hr average of 27°C or greater. There was a significant increase in deaths from cardiovascular disease, particularly cerebral hemorrhage and arteriosclerosis,among persons 65 years and older. In contrast, the working age group,45 to 64 years, showed practically no excess mortality. Deaths from malignant neoplasm were below their expected numbers for all ages. For the first time,a sufficiently large Negro population has been observed under heat stress to warrant an analysis by age, sex and race.The Comparative Mortality Figure (C M F) was used to make the comparisons. Both sexes of the white race in the age range 25 to 54 years and the Negro females ages 55 years and over were seriously affected.

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Zusammenfassung Während der Periode vom 10.–14. Juli 1966 führten die Wetterverhältnisse in Illinois zu einer Zunahme der monatlichen Todesfälle um 36% gegenüber denen, die sich im Juli 1965 ereignet hatten.In Springfield,Illinois, und St.Louis, Missouri, stieg der Thomsche Temperatur-Feuchteindex (THI)für einige Stunden an jedem dieser Tage auf über 29°C mit einem 24-stündigen Mittelwert von 27°C oder höher. Es ereignete sich eine überzufällige Zunahme von Todesfällen bei Herz- und Kreislaufkrankheiten, besonders bei zerebralen Blutungen und Arteriosklerose bei Menschen von 65 Jahren und mehr. Dagegen zeigte die Gruppe der noch Arbeitenden von 45 bis 64 Jahren praktisch keine erhöhte Sterblichkeit. Todesfälle durch bösartige Neubildungen blieben in allen Altersgruppen unter dem Erwartungswert. Zum ersten Mal wurde eine ausreichend grosse Gruppe von Negern unter Hitzebelastung beobachtet, um eine Analyse nach Alter, Geschlecht und Rasse zu ermöglichen. Zum Vergleich wurde die Methode der Comparative Mortality Figure (CMF) angewandt.Beide Geschlechter der weissen Rasse im Alter von 25 bis 54 Jahren und der weiblichen Neger von 55 Jahren und älter wurden in hohem Mass betroffen.

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Resume Du 10 au 14 juillet 1966, les conditions météorologiques régnant dans l'Illinois ont provoqué une augmentation de 36% des décès par rapport à ceux enregistrés en juillet 1965. A Springfield (Illinois) et à St. Louis (Missouri), l'index de température et d'humidité de Thom (THI) a dépassé 29°C durant quelques heures de chacune de ces journées par une moyenne de 24 heures d'au moins 27°C. On a alors noté une augmentation significative des décès par insuffisance cardiaque ou vasculaire, principalement par hémorragie cérébrale et par atériosclérose chez les personnes de plus de 65 ans. On n'a par contre noté aucune augmentation significative de la mortalité chez les personnes actives de 45 à 64 ans.Les décès par tumeurs malignes sont restés au-dessous de la normale dans toutes les classes d'âge.Pour la première fois, on a pu observer un groupe suffisamment important de nègres placés sous contrainte thermique pour permettre une analyse par classes d'âge, par sexe et par race.A titre comparatif, on a utilisé la méthode du "Comparative Mortality Figure (CMF)". Les deux sexes de la race blanche dont l'âge était compris entre 25 et 54 ans ainsi que les négresses de 55 ans et plus furent les plus durement touchés.

     

Mortality of workers at the Sellafield plant of British Nuclear Fuels.

The mortality of all 14,327 people who were known to have been employed at the Sellafield plant of British Nuclear Fuels at any time between the opening of the site in 1947 and 31 December 1975 was studied up to the end of 1983. The vital state of 96% of the workers was traced satisfactorily and 2277 were found to have died, 572 (25%) from cancer. On average the workers suffered a mortality from all causes that was 2% less than that of the general population of England and Wales and 9% less than that of the population of Cumberland (the area in which the plant is sited). Their mortality from cancers of all kinds was 5% less than that of England and Wales and 3% less than that of Cumberland. In the five years after their first employment Sellafield workers had an overall mortality that was 70% of that of England and Wales, probably due to healthier members of the population being selected for employment. Raised death rates from cancers of several specific sites were found, but only for those of ill defined and secondary sites was the excess statistically significant (30 observed, 19.7 expected). For cancers of the liver and gall bladder there was a significant deficit of deaths (four observed, 10.5 expected). Workers in areas of the plant where radiation exposure was likely were issued with dosimeters to measure their external exposure to ionising radiations. Personal dose records were maintained for workers who entered such areas other than infrequently. Workers with personal dose records ("radiation" workers) had lower death rates from all causes combined than other workers but the death rates from cancer in the two groups were similar. Compared with the general population radiation workers had statistically significant deficits of liver and gall bladder cancer, lung cancer, and Hodgkin''s disease. There were excesses of deaths from myeloma (seven observed, 4.2 expected) and prostatic cancer (19 observed, 15.8 expected) but these were not significant and there was no evidence of an excess of leukaemia (10 deaths observed, 12.2 expected) or cancer of the pancreas (15 observed, 17.8 expected). Non-radiation workers had a significant deficit of leukaemia (one death observed, 5.1 expected) and a significant excess of cancers of ill defined and secondary sites (13 deaths observed, 5.8 expected). For no type of cancer was the ratio of observed to expected deaths significantly different between radiation and non-radiation workers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Rabies in Austria 1966-1986

The epidemiology of rabies in Central Europe with particular reference to Austria is described. Fox represents the vector of the infection while other animals are involved in the epidemiological picture only incidentally. Oral immunization of foxes has been successfully achieved.     

Acute leukemia in children: experience in Saskatchewan in 1966-72.

In 1966-72 in Saskatchewan there was a significant improvement in survival of patients up to 16 years old with acute leukemia treated intensively. The rate of complications was low. Attention to the emotional needs of the patients and parents and formation of parent mutual-support groups improved the acceptibility of intensive therapy.     

Mortality in relation to smoking: 40 years' observations on male British doctors.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the hazards associated with long term use of tobacco. DESIGN--Prospective study of mortality in relation to smoking habits assessed in 1951 and again from time to time thereafter, with causes sought of deaths over 40 years (to 1991). Continuation of a study that was last reported after 20 years'' follow up (1951-71). SUBJECTS--34,439 British male doctors who replied to a postal questionnaire in 1951, of whom 10,000 had died during the first 20 years and another 10,000 have died during the second 20 years. RESULTS--Excess mortality associated with smoking was about twice as extreme during the second half of the study as it had been during the first half. The death rate ratios during 1971-91 (comparing continuing cigarette smokers with life-long non-smokers) were approximately threefold at ages 45-64 and twofold at ages 65-84. The excess mortality was chiefly from diseases that can be caused by smoking. Positive associations with smoking were confirmed for death from cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, pharynx, larynx, lung, pancreas, and bladder; from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory diseases; from vascular diseases; from peptic ulcer; and (perhaps because of confounding by personality and alcohol use) from cirrhosis, suicide, and poisoning. A negative association was confirmed with death from Parkinson''s disease. Those who stopped smoking before middle age subsequently avoided almost all of the excess risk that they would otherwise have suffered, but even those who stopped smoking in middle age were subsequently at substantially less risk than those who continued to smoke. CONCLUSION--Results from the first 20 years of this study, and of other studies at that time, substantially underestimated the hazards of long term use of tobacco. It now seems that about half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.     

Mortality in relation to smoking: 20 years' observations on male British doctors.

In 1951 the British Medical Association forwarded to all British doctors a questionnaire about their smoking habits, and 34440 men replied. With few exceptions, all men who replied in 1951 have been followed for 20 years. The certified causes of all 10 072 deaths and subsequent changes in smoking habits were recorded. The ratio of the death rate among cigarette smokers to that among lifelong non-smokers of comparable age was, for men under 70 years, about 2:1, while for men over 70 years it was about 1-5:1. These ratios suggest that between a half and a third of all cigarette smokers will die because of their smoking, if the excess death rates are actually caused by smoking. To investigate whether this is the case, the relation of many different causes of death to age and tobacco consumption were examined, as were the effects of giving up smoking. Smoking caused death chiefly by heart disease among middle-aged men (and, with a less extreme relative risk, among old men,) lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, and various vascular diseases. The distinctive features of this study were the completeness of follow-up, the accuracy of death certification, and the fact that the study population as a whole reduced its cigarette consumption substantially during the period of observation. As a result lung cancer grew relatively less common as the study progressed, but other cancers did not, thus illustrating in an unusual way the causal nature of the association between smoking and lung cancer.