London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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88
[1910
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES.
These diseases form a group which are only second in importance to
those known as the epidemic diseases. They include Rheumatic Fever,
Rheumatism, Rickets, Diabetes, Gout, Anaemia, and above all, Tuberculosis,
whether of the lungs or any other part of the body.
During the year they caused 989 deaths, as compared with 1,039 in the
preceding year, and they were equal to a death-rate of 3.01 per 1,000 of the
population.
During the last twenty years they have caused 21,538 deaths, which are
equal to an annual death-rate of 3.25 during this period.
The deaths and death-rates from these diseases are well worth studying year by year, and for the first time they are now given:—
| Deaths. | Death-rates. | Deaths. | Death-rates. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | 1,064 | 3.32 | 1901 | 1,080 | 3.22 |
| 1892 | 1,037 | 3.21 | 1902 | 1,101 | 3.23 |
| 1893 | 1.093 | 3.18 | 1903 | 1,070 | 3.21 |
| 1894 | 997 | 3.02 | 1904 | 1,116 | 3.36 |
| 1895 | 1,314 | 3.33 | 1905 | 1,007 | 3.03 |
| 1896 | 1,122 | 3.26 | 1906 | 1,042 | 3.15 |
| 1897 | 1,084 | 3.21 | 1907 | 1,041 | 3.15 |
| 1898 | 1,067 | 3.17 | 1908 | 1,048 | 3.12 |
| 1899 | 1,115 | 3.32 | 1909 | 1,032 | 3.14 |
| 1900 | 1,119 | 3.33 | 1910 | 989 | 3.01 |
Cancer and Malignant Diseases.—361 deaths from cancer and
malignant diseases were recorded during the year. They were equal to a
death-rate of 11.0 per 10,000 of the population, which is 0.03 in excess of the
rate recorded in the preceding year, while the actual number of deaths were
eight in excess of the same year. When comparison is made with the mean
return for the preceding 20 years, it is found that they are GO in excess.
This group of diseases continues to show an uninterrupted increase, as
was stated in the report for 1909, and, indeed, an examination of the figures
proves that whereas there were only 1,180 deaths in the quinquennium 1891
1895, there were 1,792 in the quinquennium 1900-1910, or an increase of nearly
52 per cent. This is indeed a matter of the utmost moment, and it is therefore
no wonder that we hear of cancer research funds and endowments of special
institutions for inquiry into the cause of this disease.
G 2