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Other infectious diseases, e.g., Scarlet Fever, may seriously affect the
heart, but with suitable care and treatment such a condition is temporary only
and the heart recovers completely.
Among adults it is customary nowadays to estimate the severity of the
heart lesion more by its effect on the patient's mode of life than by the actual
extent of the lesion itself.
Cancer.
273 deaths were due to Cancer, or 37 less than in the previous year.
62 belonged to the Limehouse District.
46 belonged to St. George-in-the-East.
99 belonged to Mile End Old Town.
66 belonged to the Whitechapel District.
The death-rate for the whole Borough was 1.12 per 1,000 of the population.

The word cancer hardly needs a definition as it is known all over the
civilised world. The cause of the occurrence of cancer remains obscure.
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Various reasons have been given but without sufficient proof. Various articles
of diet have been suspect also certain drugs. There is no doubt that the
liability to cancer is influenced largely by personal predisposition. But it has
not been proved to be a hereditary disease. No danger has been shown to
follow from living in a house or district where a large number of cancer cases
have occurred. Neither is there any evidence to show that cancer is an infectious
or contagious disease. Undoubtedly chronic irritation is a frequent cause
of cancer. Thus a badly-fitting denture may set up trouble or where there has
been chronic ulceration as in lupus, cancer is a frequent sequel. The same
holds true of the lower bowel where cancer frequently appears. Here there is
a long history of constipation with its constant irritation of the lining
membrane of the bowel.