View report page

Coming to the causes of the deaths, there were 156
deaths in 1899 from the various forms of accidental or other
violence, compared with 167 in 1900; of this total 22 were
returned as suicide. The deaths from premature birth and
defective vitality were 358, compared with 341 in 1899.
Convulsion of infancy was the cause of 89 deaths, as against
105 in the previous year. Sixteen deaths were caused by
child-birth, either directly or remotely, and of these eight were
due to one or other of the septic diseases following on this
condition, a slight improvement on 1899, when there were 11
deaths from this disease. I need hardly repeat what I have
previously urged, namely, that of all the so-called preventible
diseases this particular one has the best claim to the
description.
Among other new diseases, classified separately by the
Local Government Board we have alcoholism, together with
cirrhosis of the liver. I give the figures for these two diseases
separately, for the reason that although cirrhosis of the liver
is most frequently caused by alcohol, it is not so in every case.
The figures for alcoholism are 13, and for cirrhosis of the
liver 37.
Venereal diseases accounted for 15 deaths, but, as in
alcoholism, the fatal effects of the degenerative changes set up
by the poisons of syphilis and alcohol are in part associated
with the mental diseases, and also classified as changes in the
arteries, kidneys and nervous system, which are grouped
together among "other diseases."
Two hundred and seventy-seven deaths were registered
from heart diseases, as compared with 251 in 1899. These
include all those cases in which heart mischief itself appeared
to be the primary cause of death, but do not include those
cases of congenital heart diseases, which are classified under
other causes.
Two hundred and seventeen deaths were ascribed to
cancer, including all the forms of malignant disease, compared
with 199 in 1899. It is often stated that cancer is on the
increase, but this point is by no means proved; the increased
registration of such disease is, I think, chiefly due to the fact
that new growths are now diagnosed as cancer which were
formerly certified as tumours of various kinds.
viii.