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of the kidneys, 57 ; apoplexy, 48 ; whooping cough, 45 ; alcoholism and cirrhosis
of the liver, 30 ; and enteritis, which was given as the cause of 30 deaths.
Of the 81 deaths from cancer 36 were of males and 45 of females. Eight persons
under forty-five years and three over seventy-five years of age were certified to
have died from cancer, the remaining 70 deaths were of persons aged between forty
five and seventy-five years. In addition 10 deaths, 4 of males and 6 of females, were
attributed to malignant disease not definitely stated to have been cancer, but in
some of these cancer was probably the cause of death. The cancer death rate, which
was 0.71 per 1,000 population, was again above the average. The rates for previous
years are as follows : 0.72 in 1909, 0.64 in 1908, 0.72 in 1907, 0.64 in 1906, 0.70 in
1905, 0.69 in 1904, 0.66 in 1903, 0.74 in 1902, 0.63 in 1901, 0.56 in 1900, 0.63 in 1899,
0.58 in 1898, 0.51 in 1897, 0.45 in 1896, 0.50 in 1895, 0.65 in 1894, and 0.54 in 1893.
The deaths from malignant disease have not been taken into account in estimating
the above rates.
Of the deaths attributed to alcoholism and cirrhosis of the liver, the latter being
a disease generally held to be due to the habitual consumption of alcoholic drinks in
excess, 20 were of males and 10 of females. The number this year was lower than usual.
As pointed out in previous reports, the actual numbers of deaths directly or indirectly
the result of alcoholism in all probability considerably exceed the figures given.
Eight deaths were certified as due to appendicitis, as compared with 3 in 1909,
5 in 1908, 1 in 1907, 19 in 1906, 4 in 1905, 7 in 1904, 5 in 1903, 4 in 1902, and 2 in
1901. Five deaths were attributed to peritonitis. It is worthy of note with respect
to the mortality from peritonitis in Shoreditch that there has been a very marked
reduction in the number of deaths attributed to it during recent years. Taking the
ten years ending 1900 the average number of deaths annually was 16.4, whilst during
the ten years ending 1910 the number averaged only 7.2. During the former period
deaths from appendicitis were included under peritonitis, whilst during the last
ten years they have been classed separately. The number from appendicitis has
averaged 5.8 annually. Taking peritonitis and appendicitis together they have
been given as the cause of 13 deaths on an average annually during the ten years
ending 1910, a marked reduction as compared with the deaths from peritonitis
during the former period after allowing for the decreasing population of the Borough
during the periods taken. This reduction may possibly be to some extent attributed
to the more general recognition of the nature of appendicitis and of the value of
the remedial measures available for dealing with it during recent years, so that cases
which formerly terminated fatally from peritonitis now survive.
Of the 97 deaths from violence 59 were of males and 38 of females. Through
accident or negligence 77 persons met their deaths. Street accidents in connection
with vehicular traffic accounted for 14 deaths, falls for 18, and burns and scalds
for 3 ; suffocation in bed of infants resulted in 35 deaths or nearly double the number
for last year. There was one case of homicide in a man and 19 persons committed
suicide 15 of whom were males and 4 females.