Some Orthopaedic Aspects of Rheumatic Disease.

The rheumatic diseases, including the rheumatoid and osteo-arthritic types of arthritis and non-articular rheumatism, constitute by far the most important cause of crippling. A person suffering from a serious cardiac lesion is also in a sense crippled, so that, if we include the incapacity for work from this condition due to acute rheumatism, the problem is seen to be one of grave national and indeed international importance. In England and Wales alone, the economic loss is at least £20,000,000 annually, while, according to the official publications of the Department of Health for Scotland, 14% of the total invalidity of persons insured under the National Health Insurance Act north of the Tweed is due to rheumatism, and the annual economic loss to Scotland is estimated at £3,000,000. Although these figures have been frequently quoted, it seems that constant reiteration is necessary to awaken the national conscience.