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Rickets in the 17th Century
Author(s) -
O'Riordan Jeffrey LH
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of bone and mineral research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.882
H-Index - 241
eISSN - 1523-4681
pISSN - 0884-0431
DOI - 10.1359/jbmr.060703
Subject(s) - rickets , vitamin d and neurology , vitamin d deficiency , medicine , smoke , cause of death , pediatrics , environmental health , disease , vitamin , geography , meteorology
Rickets was first documented as a cause of death in the Bills of Mortality for The City of London in 1634, but detailed descriptions were only published between 1645 and 1668. It was thought at the time that this was a new disease in England, but there was no indication as to the cause of the condition. However, air pollution from smoke produced by burning coal caused serious problems at that time, and so it can be suggested that vitamin D deficiency was responsible.