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117 had a daily action of the bowels, and 38 suffered from
constipation, giving 75 per cent. of persons with a regular
action.
Non-Cancer Cases. These figures may be compared with
those obtained for 155 persons under similar circumstances
who did not die of cancer. (For details of these, see Annual
Report, 1915.)
Comparison. It will be seen that, comparing persons who
suffer from cancer with those living at advanced ages or who
died at advanced ages through other causes, the great differences
are as to habits with respect to alcohol, smoke, and the
action of the bowels, viz.:—
Cancerous persons had 32 per cent. of excessive alcohol
users, 41 per cent. excessive smokers, and 25 per cent. of
constipation. Non-cancerous persons living to a greater age
had 14 per cent. of excessive alcohol users, 16 per cent.
excessive smokers, and 17 per cent. of constipation.
The percentage of excessive alcohol drinkers and large
smokers among those dying from cancer is more than twice
as high as among other persons.
Mouth and Throat. These differences are still more marked
with respect to alcohol and smoking if only those who
died from cancer of the mouth and throat are considered.
Of 68 persons dying from cancer of the lips, tongue, jaws,
fauces, larynx, oesophagus and cervical glands, 31 (or 46
per cent.) took alcohol excessively, while 51 (or 75 per cent.)
smoked excessively. 23 of these smoked chiefly a clay pipe,
16 a briar or other form of pipe, and 10 sometimes a clay and
sometimes a briar, 2 cigarettes, and 2 cigars. There were
only 4 out of the 21 cases of cancer of the mouth or tongue
who did not smoke; 2 of these had bad teeth. Among the