Geographia medica最新文献

Pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the major diseases whose incidence remains unabated in many Indian cities. It appears to reflect one of the consequences of modern urban conditions prevailing in the country. In the present paper, the close association between the distribution pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis in Vadodara with the social, cultural and economic conditions of life in the city becomes clear even when a small slice of recent time, 1977 to 1981, is taken to view it. The paper briefly sifts available data and indicates some of the directions in which the problem could be tackled to create a more healthy environment for city dwellers.

Inspite of the various curative and preventive measures the control of tuberculosis has not been effective. Today it persists as an endemic disease in many parts of India. The present study aims to map the spatial distribution of tuberculosis in West Bengal and to evaluate the spatial change over time between 1960 to 1980. The mortality data for the 16 districts of West Bengal have been used to map spatial distribution of tuberculosis for 1980 and the expected deaths have been calculated based on the mid-year population. The rural and urban sectors have been treated separately. Similarly a time space change in tuberculosis mortality has been calculated for the districts based on the quinquinneal population change between 1960, 1965, 1970, and 1980. In all cases the probability has been tested by Poissons Probability model at the significance levels of p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.05. The principal zones of tuberculosis endemicity are the Nn.Hill region and the adjoining plains, the central plains of Bankura district, and Calcutta. A wide rural urban difference is perceptible in spatial context as well as in time scale. Though tuberculosis is principally a disease of the male population, it is more prevalent among females of the lower age group. The declining trend of tuberculosis though observable from 1965 is not uniform for all districts. An increasing trend in Purulia is apparent in the present decade while in Calcutta the trend of decline is very gradual.

The paper is about infectious hepatitis in urban India. The discussion is on two case studies: one of Madras, and the other of Madurai: two major cities in the State of Tamilnadu, South India. The Madras study is on the temporal and spatial analysis of the distribution and diffusion of hepatitis during 1971-1978. The Madras study also relates age to incidence, the major conclusion being that children are more susceptible to hepatitis than elders. The diffusion of hepatitis is said to occur in a wave - like form, covering newer areas and intensifying in time in core areas. The Madurai study is about the epidemic of hepatitis during January-October of 1981. Relating incidence with share of slum population, and number of borewells in city localities, the study yields a positive relation between them with a correlation coefficient value of .7424 and .7812, respectively. General lack of environmental quality and use of contaminated water for domestic purposes appear to be causes of high incidence of infectious hepatitis.

The acid rain phenomenon was studied in the province of Cordoba, Argentina. This study, based on a previously outlined framework, determined the anthropogenic origin of the low pH due to the presence of industrial hydrochloric acid wastage. This industrial ecotoxicological phenomenon seriously affected the forest wealth, causing a great defoliation of trees and shrubs, with a lower effect on crops. A survey on its effects on human beings has not been carried out, but considering the corrosion caused to different metals and its denouncing biocide effect on plants and animals, we should expect to find some kind of harm to the health of the workers involved or others engaged in farming, and even to those who are far away from the polluting agent.