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Parish of Clapham. 49
for the Dying; in 1900, there were 11 such deaths of
persons not belonging to Clapham, which are included
in the 50. This materially reduces the number and
makes it less than the average. The Home for the
Dyin? has recently been moved into larger premises, and
the deaths are therefore more numerous. The figures
therefore do not give any support to the opinion frequently
expressed that cancerous diseases are increasing.
Tubercular
Diseases.
There were 108 deaths from all the different
forms of Tubercle, including consumption.
This was 18 above the corrected average, and a decidedly
larger number than in any year of this decade. The
Influence of the Home for the Dying must be remembered
here again, there having been 21 deaths of
non-parishioners in it from Tubercular diseases during
the year, which was an increase on former years. The
death-rate per 1,000 living was 2.04, or slightly greater
than in the last few years. The death-rate for Phthisis or
Consumption was 1.49, the corresponding rate for the
whole of London being 1.7. The Clapham death-rate
for Phthisis was above that for the whole Wandsworth
District which was 1.16 only, but this would be expected,
as Clapham is far more densely populated than other
portions of the district. The rate is almost exactly the
same as that for Battersea, and considerably below that
for Lambeth.
The claim to place diseases of this group, and
especially Consumption, in the list of preventible diseases
is now generally conceded, so that it is not satisfactory to
have to record an increase of mortality from them. It
should be pointed out, however, that most tubercular
illnesses run a somewhat long course, and that the actual
period when death occurs (perhaps years after the
beginning of the illness) is often determined by outside
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