Abstract
One of the prize-winning essays for the Lewis Cameron Undergraduate Prize 1962. The common cold is ubiquitous. It affects all races and occurs in all climates. It is not a killing disease, but figures suggest that colds cause a loss of several million man working hours each year. One estimate put the figure at forty million, 1 another at eighty million: in either case the figure is large. Lindwell and Williams report in an investigation carried out on four groups of office workers, three in London and one in Newcastle, that 10.3% of all colds lead to an absence from work, on an average, of 2.6 days duration. It has been suggested that the common cold should be treated as a quarantable disease but it is obvious that if everybody spent an extra of 2.6 days, or longer, away from work twice a year the economic results would be devastating.
Highlights
ISSN: 2051-7580 (Online) ISSN: 0482-3206 (Print) Res Medica is published by the Royal Medical Society, 5/5 Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL
It affects all races and occurs in all climates. It is not a killing disease, but figures suggest that colds cause a loss of several million man working hours each year
Lindwell and W illiam s report in an investigation carried out on four groups of office workers, three in London and one in Newcastle, that 10 .3% of all colds lead to an absence from work, on an average, of 2.6 days duration
Summary
M any suggestions have been made as to the aetiology of the disease. In particular various bacteria such as H. Influenzae, and Strep, haemolyticus have been suggested. It was not until Kruse who had been sceptical of the bacterial hypothesis following his failure to isolate any such organisms from the initial nasal discharge of the common cold, showed that the infecting agent was filter passing and a virus. Efforts have been made to cultivate the virus but until recently practically all these failed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
