View report page

The following table shows the proportional age-distribution of the deaths in London classified
under the three headings—

With a view to showing whether there is any tendency, such as is exhibited by phthisis, for cancer
mortality to have special incidence upon poor populations as compared with populations better
circumstanced, the sanitary districts in London have been arranged in groups on the basis of the
population living more than two in a room in tenements of less than five rooms. No doubt this is not an
absolutely precise index of poverty, but it is sufficient for the purpose in view, which is to enable comparison
of cancer rates to be made among populations living under varying social conditions.
The following table shows that the incidence of cancer mortality in no way corresponds to the
incidence of phthisis mortality, which appears to be largely governed by the social condition of the
population. As between the accuracy diagnosis of cancer among the rich and the poor there may, of
course, be differences, due to the greater ability of the former class to pay for skilled advice ; but in this
connection it may be recollected that in London, where public institutions are within reach of all, any
difference of this sort must be largely compensated or more than compensated, by the greater use of
such institutions by the poorer classes. For the purpose of comparison, the phthisis death-rates of
groups of districts arranged in the manner stated above are shown in a corresponding table.
1 Sea footnote (1) page 7