London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Paddington 1898

Report on vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1898

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77
of all ages in Paddington, 0.87 in the Northern
Division, and 0.98 in the Southern. The decennial
mean rates were 0"88, 0"86, and 0.91 respectively.
It has already been said that the term "cancer"
includes more than one form of disease, but how far
such differentiation means distinct diseases, or different
manifestations arising from one essential cause, it is
impossible to say. The 115 deaths classed under
"cancer" during the past year included 35 certified
as "cancer," 52 as "carcinoma," 2 as "scirrhus"
("stone") cancer, 7 as "sarcoma," 5 as "epithelioma,"
one as " rodent ulcer," and 13 as "malignant disease."
The one feature common to all these forms is
"malignancy," i.e., a tendency to recur after surgical
interference, and to infect parts of the body at a
greater or less distance from the seat of its first
appearance. The fatal issue may be due to many
causes, which it is needless to discuss here. The
parts affected are indicated in the analysis of the deaths
in 1898 on page 74. The numbers are too small to
serve as a basis of any discussion.
"Cancer" is supposed to haunt certain districts
and houses, and with a view to the examination of
this question, the deaths recorded during the year
have been allotted to the streets, &c., in which the
homes of the deceased were situated. The results
obtained from one year's figures cannot be taken as
conclusive, but it may be mentioned that there were