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
St Pancras 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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64
ALCOHOLISM.
As in the case of the last disease, the number of deaths due to excessive use
of alcohol is in no way represented by the number certified as such. During
1913 nine deaths were returned as due to alcoholism, and two others to
alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. There were 29 deaths from cirrhosis of the
liver not returned as alcoholic.
CANCER.
285 deaths were registered during 191.3 as due to cancer, under the various
names of cancer, carcinoma, epithelioma, scirrhus, malignant disease, rodent
ulcer, and sarcoma.
This is equal to a death-rate of 1.28 per 1,000 population.
The sex distribution of the deaths and death-rate is shown in the following table : —
| No. of Deaths. | Death-rates per 1,000 males or females living (based on 1911 Census) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex. | Cancer, Carcinoma, &c. | Rodent Ulcer. | Sarcoma. | Total malignant disease. | Sex. | Cancer, Carcinoma. tfce. | Rodent Ulcer. | Sarcoma. | Total malignant disease. |
| Males . | 118 | 2 | 7 | 127 | Males . | 1.08 | .02 | .06 | 1.16 |
| Females | 149 | 1 | 8 | 158 | Females | 1.31 | .01 | .07 | 1.39 |
| Both Sexes. | 267 | 3 | 15 | 285 | Both Sexes . | 1.20 | .01 | .07 | 1.28 |
Owing to the importance of this cause of death it has been thought worth
while to make a more exhaustive classification than appears in the table of
deaths (page 99).
In the accompanying table, therefore, the deaths for 1913 have been classified
according to age and sex and the part of the body affected, as stated on
the death certificates.
The cases are also classified according to the term used on the death certificates
to express the cause of death (cancer, carcinoma, &c.) All "cancer"
cases have been grouped with carcinoma, but rodent ulcer and sarcoma have
each been grouped separately.
It will be seen that, females appear to have suffered more severely than
males, an I this is more than accounted for by the 63 deaths from cancer of
organs peculiar to women, balanced by only one corresponding death amongst
men. On the other hand there were 52 deaths in males from cancer about the
mouth, throat and gullet compared with 6 in women. There were a greater
number (70) of deaths among women from cancer of the abdominal organs
(other than sexual) than amongst men (57).
* Rodent ulcer is here classified as a variety of cancer or malignant disease.