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There are more females than males living in the district.
At the Census of 1901 there were 20,715 females and 17,029
males.
Various theories have been advanced to account for the
peculiar incidence of Phthisis upon the sexes, but most of
them seem to be inapplicable to Acton.
It has been suggested that the higher incidence upon the
male during adult and later life is due to occupational conditions.
In some occupations, such as those of the Cornish
miners and Sheffield grinders, the heavier incidence may be
due to an actual wounding of the lung substance. In this
district there are hardly any men employed in occupations
which do, per se, render the worker therein peculiarly prone to
develop Phthisis,
In so far as occupational conditions give rise to increased
opportunities of infection, these conditions in this district
would be as, if not more, liable to affect the incidence of the
disease on females.
There are probably over 3,500 females employed in the
laundry industry alone, and if occupational conditions affect
the workers through the increased opportunities of infection,
laundry workers would be peculiarly liable to contract the
disease. But laundresses are not peculiarly liable to contract
the disease. Prior to their attack of illness the 41 persons
over 15 years of age dead of Phthisis last year were employed
as follows :—