Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Annual report on the public health of Finsbury for the year 1912
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woman they are chiefly those parts concerned with child-bearing
and reproduction, the womb and the breast.
ALCOHOLISM.
Alcoholism and Cirrhosis of the Liver caused 42 deaths in
1912. Cirrhosis of the Liver is the euphemism under which, in
deference to the susceptibilities of relatives and friends, alcoholism
is masked on death certificates. It is quite uncommon to find
alcoholism entered as a cause of death, except in the case of those
who are friendless, homeless, unknown, destitute, or who die in
the workhouse or workhouse infirmary.
The deaths in previous years are appended: —
Years. | Alcoholism and Delirium Tremens. | Cirrhosis ot the Liver. | Total. |
---|---|---|---|
1901-10 | 164 | 257 | 421 |
1911 | 11 | 18 | 29 |
1912 | 16 | 26 | 42 |
Totals 1901-12 | 191 | 301 | 492 |
In addition to the numbers given above there will be other
deaths due to alcoholism, but in which it has been omitted as
the primary cause from the certificate, and the secondary cause
or terminal disease alone inserted. Thus many of the deaths
of young adults from pneumonia, many of the cases of Bright's
disease of the kidneys, some of the deaths due to "influenza"
or bronchitis, many street and night accidents, and possibly some
of the cases of overlying are attributable directly or indirectly to
alcohol.
It will be noticed that in the above table the deaths from
cirrhosis of the liver much outnumber the deaths from alcoholism.