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
Hampstead 1925
Report for the year 1925 of the Medical Officer of Health
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The deaths from the principal epidemic diseases in recent years are as follow:—
| Year. | Diphtheria. | Enteric Fever. | Measles. | Scarlet Fever. | Small Pox. | Whooping Cough. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 35 | l | 4 | 5 | .. | 6 | ||
| 1922 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 2 | .. | 2 | ||
| 1923 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .. | 4 | ||
| 1924 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | .. | 4 | ||
| 1925 | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 4 | ||
Cancer.
The following Table gives the number of deaths in sexes from Cancer in each of the years 1906—1925:—
| Number of Deaths from Cancer. | Number of Deaths from Cancer. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. | Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
| 1906 | 28 | 65 | 93 | 1916 | 38 | 75 | 113 |
| 1907 | 17 | 52 | 69 | 1917 | 37 | 70 | 107 |
| 1908 | 36 | 48 | 84 | 1918 | 33 | 72 | 105 |
| 1909 | 31 | 54 | 85 | 1919 | 52 | 71 | 123 |
| 1910 | 32 | 58 | 90 | 1920 | 44 | 76 | 120 |
| 1911 | 25 | 61 | 86 | 1921 | 55 | 79 | 134 |
| 1912 | 32 | 70 | 102 | 1922 | 50 | 85 | 135 |
| 1913 | 44 | 56 | 100 | 1923 | 61 | 97 | 158 |
| 1914 | 46 | 58 | 114 | 1924 | 61 | 90 | 151 |
| 1915 | 42 | 76 | 118 | 1925 | 56 | 86 | 142 |
It will be noted that, though there is a small difference in the past
year in the deaths from Cancer, yet in the five years under review
there has been quite a marked increase in the number of deaths from
this disease when considered with former years. Although it is contended
by some observers that this is a "paper" increase only, yet I am
of opinion that that does not account for the whole of the increase, and
there has been in recent years an actual increase in the number of
deaths from this disease.
With reference to the greater number of deaths occurring among
females, it should be borne in mind that the population of the Borough
was found at the Census of 1921 to consist of 52,900 females and
33,253 males.
On the question of site of the disease it may be stated that, taking
England and Wales as a whole, in women malignant growths of the
uterus and breast form far the largest contributor to the total mortality
from Cancer. The two most frequent sites in males are the stomach
and intestines.