1904-5.] Ankylostomiasis , or the Miners' Worm Disease. 817 
whether simply as a coincidence, the number of cases of ankylo- 
stomiasis in the Ruhr valley rapidly increased. 
In 1896 . . 107 cases. 
„ 1897 . . 113 „ 
„ 1898 . . 99 „ 
In 1900 . .275 cases. 
„ 1901 . . 1030 „ 
„ 1902 . . 1355 „ 
The headquarters of the mining industry are in Bochum. Here 
is the Knappschaftsverein, or miners’ union. The building is a 
large one. Attached to the union is a well-appointed school of 
mining, which is attended by six hundred students. The Knapp- 
schaftsverein is the insurance bank of the miners. It has a capital 
of £2,000,000, none of which can be used for strikes. To the 
funds of the union the employers contribute two-thirds and the 
workmen one-third. The outbreak of ankylostomiasis has already 
cost the union upwards of £100,000, to say nothing of the 
additional expenses incurred by the owners of collieries. 
The systematic manner in which the Government and the mine- 
owners are co-operating to stamp out ankylostomiasis commands at 
once our respect and admiration. Medical men have been 
appointed to all the infected pits, and the miners who are the 
subjects of the malady are obliged to go into the hospital for a 
fortnight. Formerly when these men were off ill they received 
3s. a day, out of which they paid Is. to the union and Is. for their 
keep in the hospital, leaving therefore only Is. a day for their 
wives and families. This reduction to a minimum allowance not 
only led to the attempted perpetration of all kinds of fraud on the 
part of the miners, but was nearly the cause of a riot and a strike. 
These were only averted by the owners making the concessions 
demanded by the men, viz., the receipt of the whole of their 
wages, and that hospital treatment and residence should not be 
charged against them. 
I have alluded to the excellent sanitary arrangements proyided 
at the surface of the Erin mine for the men. The miners in 
going into the pit don their working clothes, and on coming >out 
of the pit they have a warm bath and put on the clothing which 
they left in the dressing-room before going to work. The miner 
leaves overnight his wet working clothes in the warm dressing- 
room, suspended by a cord from the ceiling, and on his return to 
PROC. ROY. SOC. EDIN. — YOL. XXV. 52 
