Tony Waldron

Arthropathies in palaeopathology: The basis of classification according to most probable cause

Abstract A scheme is presented for the classification of joint changes seen in skeletal material according to their most probable cause. One of the critical factors in making this classification is the description of the pattern of pathological changes noted in the skeleton. It is important to consider the skeleton in its entirety, and a valid classification cannot be made from the examination of single sets of joints or single elements of the skeleton. The description of the pathology of a skeleton should include an account of the joints which are present and examined, those which are normal, as well as those which are abnormal. The classification of lesions in palaeopathological material must be securely grounded in modern clinical practice if useful comparisons are to be made between series and disease in modern populations. If this is not the case, there is a serious danger of over-interpretation and over-simplification.

Infections in palaeopathology: the basis of classification according to most probable cause

Abstract A scheme is presented for the classification of the most common infectious diseases of bacterial origin seen in skeletal material according to their most probable cause. When using this classification, it is stressed that particular attention should be given to the pattern of the pathological changes observed; it is most important to consider the skeleton in its entirety. In the majority of cases it would be difficult to attempt a classification on incomplete skeletons or on single skeletal elements.

A nineteenth-century case of carcinoma of the prostate, with a note on the early history of the disease

A case of prostatic carcinoma is described in the skeleton of a named individual who died in 1834. The tumour was recognized from widespread periosteal new bone throughout the skeleton and by the presence of sclerosing metastases in many bones, including the pelvis and all the vertebrae. A number of features of the disease present here are said to be uncommon in modern patients, including spiculated periosteal new bone and some degree of spinal stenosis. In two previous cases of prostatic carcinoma described in the literature, periosteal new bone was a prominent feature and was probably responsible for the disease being recognized. It is likely that if skeletons from mature males were routinely X-rayed, considerably more cases would be noted and a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of this disease in the past would thus be ascertained.

Lead concentrations in bones from a Neolithic long barrow

Abstract Lead concentrations were determined in ribs obtained from the Neolithic long barrow at Hazelton and compared with those in a series of modern bones. The mean lead concentration in the neolithic material was about two-and-a-half times less than the contemporary mean indicating that human activity has considerably increased the human body burden of lead.