Vocal and other influences upon mankind, from pendency of the epiglottis / by Sir George Duncan Gibb.

  • Gibb, Sir George Duncan, 1821-1876.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Vocal and other influences upon mankind, from pendency of the epiglottis / by Sir George Duncan Gibb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ruloj that most old people do not possess it, in Europe at least, and old age ceteris paribus is more within the reach of those whose epiglottis’ is vertical or erect,’ than in those again in whom it is pendent. 5. The great majority of those I examined were natives of Great Britain and Ireland; hut the number included residents of other European nations, whilst a certain proportion of the African race, and an equal number of the Asiatic, chiefly Chinese, are separately given. Enough, however, was determined to permit of my forming- some general conclusions in regard to all classes of people amongst the various races of mankind, in hot, temperate and cold climates, in all parts of the universe. 6. To come now to my statistics. As time and opportunity would permit, parties of individuals, varying from three or four to fifty, were examined by introducing the laryngoscope, a small mirror previously warmed, into the back of the mouth. Many of these inspections were made at my own house, or at the houses of friends; a good many at Westminster Hospital, and some at other public institutions, such as, amongst others, the Home for Asiatics at Poplar and the Seaman’s Hospital Ship “ Dreadnought.” The results were always noted at the time, and the general health of all was good; at Westminster the persons were healthy so far as the throat was concerned. On calculating the general result, it yielded the large number of 4600 in- dividuals, extending over a period of between six and seven years. This is exclusive of 280 natives of Asia and Africa. 7. The number of the pendencies of the epiglottis was found to be 513 in the 4600 persons, which is equivalent to eleven per cent, and a fraction. This means that eleven out of every hundred healthy persons possess a pendent epiglottis; reckon- ing my hearers at 200 at the late meeting of the British Asso- ciation at Dundee, eleven per cent, gave twenty-two persons who were present when I read my paper whose epiglottis was pendent. Curiously enough this per ceutage agrees with that brought before the Association at Newcastle in 1863, and I believe it holds good in the natives of Europe and of cold countries. It is increased in hot climates, as great heat would seem to exert a more perniciously relaxing effect on the cartilage than extreme moisture or varying degrees of cold.