RARE DISEASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 August 1933, Page 9

RARE DISEASE

ONLY KNOWN FOR 10 YEARS. LONDON, July 1. Agranulocytosis, a rare disease of the blood, was stated to have, caused (ho death of Catherine .Jane' Dudley, aged 18, of Quoensland-road, Holloway, on whoni an inquest, was resumed by Hie City Coroner yesterday followiii'.! her death, in St. Bartholomew's Hospital on June 2,‘1.

At; a previous hearing Mr. J. E. Blackshaw, manager of the Cossar wireless apparatus factory, where Miss Dudley was employed, said that, occa-

sionally the factory girls used trichlorothylene to clean their hands. Y( sierday he said that he had made a mistake. Only benzine was used, and they did not. now use that. Dr. Robb-Smith, who made the postmortem examination at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, said he had found a tie finite cver-act ion of the bone nuiriow in al! its constituent..-., some fat'y change in the liver, and over-action in the spleen. The findings were, perfccily compatible with a natural death ft'em a. disease called agrailllJocytOSis, following the effects of iulluciiza and anaemia.

“It is a disease which has only been recognised from a clinical and pathological point of view within the last ten years or so,” said Dr. Robb-Smith. “11. is more common in women than men. It. is characterised by a great reduction in the white circulating cells in the blood, and is usually associateel with severe sore throat, and ulceration ef the organs in the pharynx.” He negatived poisoning from triehlcrothylene or benzine. The Coroner elecideel that the girl’s death was due to natural e-auses, and was not caused by coming in contact with, or using, tri-chlorothylene or benzine during- her employment.