The Cotton Factory Times. — 1892-09-09 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

INTERESTING PARTICIILLRS.  We cull the following interesting particulars from the Burnley Sanitary Inspector's Special report dealing with the diseases and life of factory and other workers, covering a death roll of five years, 1887-91:—Statistics have been tabulated relative to the length of life, in different sexes, age groups, and industries; classified canses of death and the influence thereon of dwelling houses, and infant nursing. These statistics include all deaths in the five years 1887-91 added together, which occurred within the area included in the enlarged Municipal Borough. By this means the whole urban population of the district is dealt with, the time covered just long enough to yield averages free from influences which affect short periods, and also to secure a sufficient number of illustrative examples to make the returns of permanent value. Lives below the mean average reduce the general mean; for instance, the mean length of life in all trades combined is 504 years, but excluding weavers it is 52 years. Now 895 weavers died averaging 424 years. To raise their ages to the general mean 7,160 years had tobe taken from the other trade lives. This also shows that the weaver's life is 91 years shorter than other working age lives. This refers to both sexes, bat length of life differs in each sex. A trade which is not unhealthy may be made to seem so by delicate workers. Robust constitutions can perform work too hard for weaker persons, who gravitate to lighter labours, thus tending to group the strong in one industry and the weak in another. Still there is valuable evidence of the comparative healthiness of various occupations. Working age life is shortest among single females, and varies with trades, weavers averaging only 281 years. For instance, a servant lives 25 years longer than a weaver, and a clothing maker 64 years longer. Males come next, among whom weaverts are again lowest with 441 years, or 81 below labourers and 13 under clothing makers. Wives and widows live longest, still weavers are lowest with 481 years, or 241 years below married servants. All cotton operatives have low average lives, and miners are next. Sex of parents or guardians in care of infants deceased have also been counted. 89-9 per cent were men, and 11-1 per cent were women. But among cotton operatives the deaths numbered 254 per cent under female care, and even 6161 per cent infants of servants died in care of females. No such deaths occurred in the families of labourers or miners. Note was also taken of the proportion of deaths under 1 and between 1 and 5 years, which is 65-7 per cent under 1, and 34-3 between 1 and 5 years. Here again the general average is exceeded by cotton. operatives with 681 per oent, servants 77-9, and miners 66 per cent, while labourers have only 62-2 per cent, and others less. The proportion of deaths over 10 years is 96 to 100 under 5 years. For Lancashire the deaths over 10 are 112 to 100 under 5 years. Infant mortality is greatest in trades of fewest adult deaths (over 10 years) to 100 infants. Among miners the adult rate is 421 per cent, cotton workers 681, 711, and 811 adults to 100 infants. On the other hand 1421 labourers and 240 clothing makers die to 100 of their infants respectively. Another proof is the percentage of adult and infant death in each trade, compared thus: Miners 5-3 per cent, weavers 18-9, labourers 20-5, and clothing makers 2-2 per cent. Compare this with the infantile rates: of miners 12-3 per cent, of weavers 25-8, of labourers 14, and clothing makers 0-9 per cent. Short industrial life and high infant mortality go together except among servants and the clothing makers. The greatest number of diseases affecting adults over average were :—Weavers 22, unclassed and no occupation 21, mill hands and clothing makres 20, shopkeepers 18, miners 17, spinners and wood workers 14, &c., while 9-3 per cent of total died of old age. The numbers over average affecting infants under 5 years were highest among— metal workers 10, wood workers 9, weavers, labourers, and masons 8; mill hands, clothing makers, and servants 7; spinners, miners, and unchased trades 6, &c. The most fatal diseases among workers were :—Weavers: Consumption, bronchitis, puerperal fever, typhoid, kidney, stomach, and brain diseases; 4-4 per cent died of old age. Spinners; Consumption, bronchitis, puerperal fever, heart and stomach complaints; 10-4 per cent died of old age. Mill hands: Consumption, bronchitis, typhoid, heart and liver Isom. plaints ; 7-5 per cent died of old age. Miners: Bronchitis, heart and kidney diseases, accidents, suicides, and unclassed causes; 7-1 per cent died of old age. Stone, brick, and quarry workers: Consumption, bronchitis, heart, brain, and uuclassed diseases; 7-6 per cent died of old age. Labourers: Bronchitis, consumption, typhoid, brain, unclassed diseases, and accidents; 13-1 per cent died of old age. Both sexes are included in this summary. The total male average of old age is 8-6 per cent, and married females 11-1 per cent. In those trades in which infant mortallty under 1 year is above the general average the in—st prolific causes are : Among, weavers: Measles, croup, typhoid, diarrheoa, bronchitis, tabes, premature birth, and overlaying. Spinners: Measles, croup, typhoid, convulsions, atrophy, and overlaying. Mill hands: Measles. diphtLeria, °coup, typhoid, convulsions, premature birth, and unclassed causes. Stone, em., workers : Scarlatina, diphtheria, diarrhoea, bronchitis, eonvulsions, tabes, atrophy, and onclassed causes. Servants: Diphtheria, diarrhasa, pneumonia, convulsions, tabes, overlaying, and unclaimed canoes. Miners : Croup, diarrheas, bronchitis, pneumonia, convulsions, and unclaased causes. Children between 5 and 10 mostly die of unclassed diseases, respiratory diseases, scarlet fever, typhoid, diphtheria, and croup. Blackburn is the only available cotton manufacturing centre with which Burnley occupation mortality can be compared. Blackburn figures for 1890 were worked out by Dr. Barwiee, late medical officer of health, and for 1891 by Dr. Wheatley, the present medical officer of health. In Burnley reterns only male " labourers " are reckoned both sexes are included in the other columns. Blackburn returns are much the same, but are for only one year in each instance, while ours are the mean of five years. Burnley is the second lowest in the general death rate among the large towns in Lancashire, after all its industrial disadvantages ; but its infant mortality under one year is still the highest but one. Again it may be repeated with confidence that Burnley would have the lowest death rate of all cotton centres if its infantile rate could be brought down to the average of those centres. And why not ? One favourable sign is that the percentage has fallen from 52-3 in last report to 49-5 on average of Let 5 years, and even to 48-4 in 1891, though the latter was probably canned by the abnormally high rate of influenza mortality among adults, and small xymotio rate among children.  Gi" your orders for the