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22
During the past twelve months the Public Health and Hospital
Committee has devoted a good deal of attention to the
question of the prevention of Consumption. Visits have been paid
to various Sanatoria by members of the Committee, and much
valuable information obtained.
A scheme for the erection of a small Sanatorium was formulated
and presented to the Town Council. The necessity for
taking active steps to deal with the disease was generally recognised,
and it was decided to communicate with the Middlesex
County Council with a view to taking into consideration whether
it might be more desirable to combine with the other Sanitary
Authorities in the County in the provision of Sanatorium accommodation,
and to consider what other preventive measures might
be adopted.
A meeting of the various Sanitary Authorities concerned is
to be held at an early date.
Cancer.—There were 88 deaths registered as due to Cancer
in 1910, an increase of 13, comparing 1910 with 1909.
The death-rate from Cancer rose from 0.38 per thousand
persons living in 1895 to 0'92 in 1908, and now stands at 0.92.
Last year there was a drop in the Cancer mortality, and I
then pointed out that in recent years the Cancer mortality had
risen considerably, and that when a fall had occurred it was of
a purely temporary character.
This year the Cancer death-rate has risen to the same level
as in 1908, which was the highest that had been then recorded.
We are practically in the dark as to the cause of the disease,
and as to methods to be adopted for its prevention, if such is
possible.