View report page

89
As regards alcohol and smoke, it was possible in most
cases to learn to some extent the amount consumed by the
patient, and an arbitrary standard was taken as to the
limit of moderation consistent with health, viz.: the daily
consumption of If pints of beer or its equivalent, an ounce
of spirits being considered equivalent to ½ pint of beer;
wine was never but an occasional luxury. The standard for
smoke was taken as 2 ozs. of tobacco per week. Persons
consuming more than these quantities have been classed as
excessive drinkers or smokers.
The correctness of the standard of consumption of alcohol
and tobacco adopted for the enquiry does not affect its value,
since the standard was the same for cancer and non-cancer
cases. But it is interesting to find from the recently published
statistical abstract for 1912, that as regards tobacco
the amount consumed in 1911 per head of population on
the United Kingdom was 2.6 lbs., and allowing one-third otf
the population to be adult males, we get an average weekly
consumption by men of 2.4 ozs. in 1911.
In 1901 the weekly consumption was 1.7 ozs., so that in
ten years the amount of tobacco used by each smoker has
increased more than 25 per cent., and cancer of the mouth
has increased by at least as much.
With regard to tea, food, and meat, it was only possible
to form a general opinion based on the information given
as to whether the patient used these articles in excess or
otherwise.
The figures as to tea drinking were probably a little more
reliable than those relating to food consumption. The
control cases were mainly old persons and there is a tendency
to exaggerate the appetites of those advanced in life.