The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-09-15
FOURTH OF JULY INJURIES.
Fewer Cases Of Tctanus This Year
Than In Many Years. Mortality Rec.
ord Lowered.

Than IN Many Years. Mortality Rec
ord Lowered.
The American Medical Journal pre-
sents for the eighth time the statistics
of injuries received on the Fourth of
July, last, with particular reference
to tetanus. There we're 70 cases OF
tetanus, the lowest number reported
during the eight years the Journal has
been gathering these statistics and
less than half the number of last
year when $50 cases were reported. It
is significant fact that the num-
Der of blank cartridge wounds shows
a CORRESPONDENCE large decrease
from 1925 last year to 45o this
year. The report says, at is interest
ing to note that, since they form the
most prolific cause of tetanus,
wounds from the formerly considered
harmless blank cartridge result in a
higher percentage of deaths 1871,
than from loaded firearms, 1912. The
most common cause of the wound IS
the blank cartridge and the most
common site the hand. Of the 70
lockjaw patients all but one were
males and all but six were under IS
years of age, the youngest being six
and the Oldest SO. Tetanus antitoxin
was used in % cases. Tetanus &C.
Cured in 10 States seven less than
last year, and two less than in 1908
Michigan and Pennsylvania lead with
II cases each. Blank cartridges con-
tinue to be responsible for the ma
jority of tetanus cases, GA or 1873 per
cent this year being due to that cause
as compared with S6.5 per cent last
year, 1873 per cent in 1908, II per
cent in 1907 and 60 per cent in 1906.
With the full knowledge of the aw-
fitness of the deaths caused by blank
cartridge wounds it is certainly mex
cusable that the use of these instru-
ments of torture is not absolutely
prohibited. Five cases of tetanus were
due this year to gunshot wounds, two
to Injuries by fire crackers and one
by It dynamite cap. SiXty-seven OF
the . cases were fatal. Sixty-four
persons were killed by various forms
of fireworks making total OF 131
deaths, decrease of 81 over last year.
Nineteen persons were killed outright
by firearms, II by explosions of pow
der, bombs or torpedoes, three by
cannon, three by various causes such
as blood poisoning, etc, and 26, mostly
little girls. burned to death in many
instances from the harmless variety
of fireworks.
There were 2,792 non fatal injuries
little more than half of the total
reported last year. Only Z We" to-
tally blinded but % lost one eye each,
26 lost legs, arms and hands and II
lost one or more fingers. This yer
$50 injuries including two deaf.
an dtwo cases of lockjaw were due L
| the giant cracker.
Boston and st. Louis report no
deaths for the first time in four years.
The Medical Journal rests the res
possibility with city governments
since the employment of death-deal-
/ ing methods of celebration is subject
to their regulation. 1t is therefore ur
to the city governments to decide
whether the manning and deaths shall
continue. BY the sound it is difficult
to know whether an explosion is due
to three-inch or five-inch cracker
while under prohibitory ordinance
any explosion would be recognized
as violation. Even the harmless
sparkler caused one of these deaths
which were far more agonizing thar
is caused by gunshot wounds"