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87
1913
Cancer and Tuberculosis together caused 939 deaths last year, or 18.6
per cent, of the deaths from all causes, but whereas the deaths from Tuberculosis
are decreasing year by year, those from cancer are increasing (see the
chart facing this page), and it promises before long to cause an even greater
mortality. Modern sanitation, by teaching the cult of pure air and the open
window, as well as of cleanliness in everything, has been greatly assisted by
bacteriological science in preventing and reducing the mortality from tuberculosis,
but up to the present time neither has done anything to prevent, retard
or reduce that from cancer. Many theories as to the cause of this disease have
been advanced, but none up to now rest on sure bases. Latterly the theory
of "cancer-houses" has been advanced, by which is meant that old houses in
which, in the past, cases of cancer have occurred, become infected and impart
the disease to persons occupying them. There does not seem any sufficient
warrant for coming to this conclusion. Some years ago the Medical Officer
of Health made an inquiry in a small way, but he could discover no evidence
that would enable him to form the opinion that old houses infect their
residents. As a matter of fact, few families escape the disease, and there are
few persons who have not had friends or relatives who have died from it, so
that it is clear that there can be few old houses in which cases have not
occurred from time to time. Dr. E. F. Bashford, Director of the Imperial
Cancer Research Fund, in a recent lecture at the Royal Sanitary Institute,
said that he was frequently asked whether an ancient family mansion should
not be burned down because of the occurrence of cancer in successive members
of the family; that he was frequently consulted regarding the anxieties of
persons who wish to occupy a house in which a patient has died of cancer,
and that he invariably replied that he should have no objection to occupying
a so-called cancer-house himself, giving his reasons. Cancer was so frequently
a cause of death that one woman out of seven, and one man out of
ten above the age of 35 died of it. Aggregations of cases of cancer were
bound to occur frequently in the same area whether it was a large or merely
a small house, or even a single room. Cancer-houses, then, in Dr. Bashford's
opinion, are not to be considered seriously as a source of the spread of cancer
Indeed, there is little doubt in the mind of the Medical Officer of Health that
the cause or causes must be looked for in other directions. These are continuously
and laboriously sought for, but whatever they may be they have
not up to now been found. The Cancer Research Fund is, however, doing
good work in this direction, and it is to be hoped that its labours may be
rewarded speedily with success, for the increase of the disease is causing
great anxiety to every person who has watched its gradual but continuous