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
Finsbury 1903
Report on the public health of 1903
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The parts of the body mainly affected with Cancerous Disease were as follows:—
| Cancer and Malignant Disease of various parts of the body. | 1901 | 1902. | 1903. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face, Tongue, Jaw | — | 7 | 12 | 19 |
| Throat, Neck, Gullet | — | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| Stomach | 9 | 12 | l6 | 37 |
| Intestine | 10 | 17 | 11 | 38 |
| Liver | 10 | 6 | 13 | 29 |
| Pancreas | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Omentum | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Breast | 6 | 9 | 12 | 27 |
| Uterus | 16 | 12 | 9 | 37 |
| Testis | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Bladder | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Various | 21 | 1 | 6 | 28 |
| Totals | 72 | 72 | 92 | 236 |
An examination of the returns for 1903 reveals the following
two facts: (a) the cases of cancer in men recorded in Finsbury
numbered 40, of which 35 or 87.5 per cent. were cases of cancer
of the alimentary canal; (b) the cases among women numbered
52, of which 26 or 50.0 per cent. were cases of cancer of the
alimentary canal, and 21 or 40.4 per cent. were cases of cancer of
the breast or womb.
ALCOHOLISM.
During 1903 twenty-two deaths were directly attributed to
alcoholism and delirium tremens. Of these 7 were women.
These figures do not, of course, represent more than a small
proportion of the mortality really caused by alcoholism. It is
more than likely, that most, if not all of the deaths of infants
attributed to being "laid upon" in bed, are really caused