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9
Cancer caused 142 deaths. The disease appears to be on
the increase, and some interesting figures regarding the prevalence
of cancer in this Borough are given in Tables B. and C.
The death-rate from cancer last year was the highest on record.
The reason for this high rate is probably as follows:—The
large number of persons between the ages of 15 and 45 who,
twenty years ago, caused our death-rates to be so low, have now
grown older and have arrived at the ages at which cancer is
prevalent. The age-distribution of our population is slowly
changing—we now have a larger proportion of elderly people in
Hornsey, and cancer is a disease of old people.
Tuberculosis was given as the cause of death in 87 instances.
Details are shown in Tables B. and C. The general problem of
the control and treatment of tuberculosis is in the hands of the
Middlesex County Council.
Heart disease caused 80 deaths.
Old aye was returned as the cause of death in 51 cases.
Altogether 450 persons over the age of 05 died in the Borough
during the past year.
Venereal Diseases.—With the information at our disposal it
is not possible to arrive with accuracy at the number of deaths
caused by these grave conditions. A large proportion of all
abortions, still-births and miscarriages are due to syphilis, and
very many of the deaths of newly-born children are attributed
also to that disease. Apart from these, by a careful scrutiny of
our death returns, I am of the opinion that some 37 deaths,
although certified under other names, can be considerd as due to
the immediate or remote effects of venereal infection. That these
diseases are very prevalent is known to all of us; but it is perhaps
not so universally recognised that venereal diseases are no respecters
of persons, and that they are the greatest causes of
invalidism and physical disability. On no health subject is education
more necessary, for many of those who contract these
infections do so unwittingly and from lack of knowledge.