A paper on the influence of clays and limestones on medical geography : illustrated by the geographical distribution of cancer among females, in England and Wales / by Alfred Haviland.

  • Haviland, Alfred, -1903.
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A paper on the influence of clays and limestones on medical geography : illustrated by the geographical distribution of cancer among females, in England and Wales / by Alfred Haviland. 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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    On the Influence of Clays and Limestones on Medical Geography; Illustrated by the Geographical Distribution of Cancer among Females, in England and Wales. By ALFRED HAVILAND. When in i86S I first carried out the design of illustrating the geographical distribution of diseases in England and Wales by means of coloured maps, I studied the registration district-map of England side by side with an early impression of Greenough's splendid physical and geological map of England and Wales, on a scale of six miles to an inch, published by the Geological Society. Those who know this map will understand how ad- mirably adapted it is for the study of the physical configuration and geological structure of our country. Heart disease was the first cause of death investigated, and the results obtained proved how greatly the mortality from the class of diseases registered under this term was influenced by the configuration of the country ; upon what is usually termed its physical geography. In fact the map of heart disease is eminently calculated to demonstrate the powerful effect on the public health of thorough ventilation by our prevailing winds ; for it clearly shows that wherever these winds can have free access without hindrance, and can thereby purge all the valley systems of their residual air and malarial emanations — whether in the form of the source of malarial rheumatism or not—they thoroughly ven- tilate the country, and at once reduce the mortality from those causes of death grouped under the heading Heart Disease. On the other hand, wherever the prevailing sea- winds are shut out from the valley systems in consequence of their axes being at right angles to their courses and the tidal wave—where, in fact, the valleys form pent-up hollows