title: Autopsy findings in Witwatersrand gold miners, 1907-1913.
abstract: This article reports autopsy findings in black Witwatersrand gold miners who originated mainly from Portuguese East Africa. These men died at the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association compound in Johannesburg between 1907 and 1913, just over 20 years after the discovery of gold in South Africa. At that time there were shockingly high levels of death and disease on the mines. The main causes of death were pneumonia, meningitis, tuberculosis and dysentery. Pneumonia and meningitis were the principle causes of death in new recruits arriving from Portuguese East Africa and tuberculosis the main cause of mortality in referrals from the mines.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Div. and Occupational Medicine, Univ. of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: Ntombizodwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ndlovu
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000351:Africa, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D001344:Autopsy / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D044383:Black People / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003643:Death; D004194:Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D006046:Gold / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008906:Mining / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009026:Mortality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D006046:Gold