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
Battersea 1924
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1924
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61
Cancer.
During 1924 the number of deaths from cancer of persons
belonging to Battersea was 231 (male 107, females 124), as compared
with 242 in 1923 and 225 in 1922. The death-rate from the disease
per 1,000 of the population was 1.35 as compared with 1.42 in
1923, 1.33 in 1922, and 1.12 in 1921.
The following table gives the comparative average death-rate from cancer in Battersea for quinquennial periods since 1899:— Cancer Deaths, 1899-1924.
| Quinquennium. | Deaths per 1000 population. | Quinquennium. | Deaths per 1,000 population. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1899-1903 | .71 | 1919-1923 | 1.26 |
| 1904-1908 | .96 | ||
| 1909-1913 | 1.00 | 1924 | 1.35 |
| 1914-1918 | 1.28 | ||
The increase in the death-rate from cancer is a disturbing
feature of the vital statistics of recent years. To what extent
this may be due to improved methods of diagnosis it is not easy to
determine. That there is an increase in the incidence of this disease
there can be no doubt. Our knowledge of the origin or causes of
cancer is still, however, very obscure, notwithstanding the patient
study and persistent research which is taking place in this and
other countries.