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Of 221 deaths of persons aged between 45 and 55 years, 46 were attributed to consumption,
7 to alcoholism, 20 to cancer, 18 to diseases of the nervous system, 28 to
heart disease, 22 to bronchitis, 15 to pneumonia, 11 to Bright's disease, and 5 to
cirrhosis of the liver. Violence caused 7 deaths, including two through suicide.
Of 243 deaths of persons aged from 55 to 65 years, 21 were attributed to consumption,
5 to alcoholism, 32 to cancer, 36 to diseases of the nervous system, including 23 from
apoplexy, 25 to heart disease, 33 to bronchitis, 12 to pneumonia, 8 to cirrhosis of the
liver, and 26 to Bright's disease. Violence resulted in 15 deaths, including 4 through
suicide.
Of persons aged from 65 to 75 years, 227 died, the chief causes given were cancer,
which resulted in 16 deaths, old age in 31, apoplexy in 23, heart disease in 24,
bronchitis in 52, pneumonia in 15, and Bright's disease in 13 deaths. Violence ended
in 7 deaths, three of which were suicidal.
Of 137 persons who died aged from 75 to 85 years, 52 succumbed to the effects of
old age, 7 to heart disease, and 29 to bronchitis. Six deaths were attributed to the
effects of violence, through accident or negligence.
Of the 30 persons who died aged 85 years and upwards, 22 succumbed to the effects
of age, one to paralysis, one to influenza, two to heart disease, two to bronchitis, one to
pneumonia, and one committed suicide by hanging.
The chief causes of death in Shoreditch during the year were: tuberculosis, which
accounted for 365 deaths, including 247 from consumption; bronchitis, which caused
230 deaths; pneumonia, causing 197; diarrhoea, 186; prematurity and debility at birth,
97; atrophy, debility and marasmus, the result of injudicious feeding in infants, 101;
old age, 107; measles, 81; whooping cough, 60; heart disease, 130; cancer, 80; apoplexy
64; and Bright's disease, 73 deaths.
Cancer was given as the cause of 80 deaths of which 31 were of males and 49 of
females. The whole of the deaths were amongst persons aged 35 years and upwards,
the great majority occurring between the ages of 45 and 75 years. The cancer deathrate
was 0.69 per 1,000 inhabitants as compared with 0.66 in 1903, 0.74 in 1902, 0.63
in 1901, 0.56 in 1900, 0.63 in 1899, 0.58 in 1898, 0.51 in 1897, 0.45 in 1896, 0.50 in
1895, 0.65 in 1894 and 0.54 in 1893. In addition to the deaths stated to have been
due to cancer 9 were attributed to malignant disease. Four of these were of males
and five females. These have not been included in estimating the cancer death-rate
but it is probable that several of them were due to cancer.
The prevalence of cancer in Shoreditch judging from the death-rates given above has
somewhat increased during the past three or four years. No specific cure has as
yet been discovered, but the sooner treatment is begun the more likely is it to be
successful. Persons who suspect cancer should lose no time in obtaining the advice
of their doctors as to treatment. It is well to remember, however, that slight ailments