The increase of cancer / by W. Roger Williams.

  • Williams, William Roger, 1854-1948.
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The increase of cancer / by W. Roger Williams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    4/9 page 506
    THE INCREASE OF CANCER* By W. Roger Williams, F.R.C.S. Gentlemen,—I propose this afternoon briefly to call your attention to the continuously progressive increase in the cancer mortality that has now been going on for over half a century. Its extent is shown by the following table:— Year. Total Population. Total Deaths. Cancer Deaths. Cancer Death Rate per Million living. Proportion to Population. Proportion to Total Deaths. 1840 15,730,813 359,687 2,786 177 1 to 5646 1 to 129 1850 17,773,324 368,995 4,966 279 1 3579 1 ti 74 1860 19,902,713 422,721 6,827 343 1 2915 1 „ 62 1870 22,501,316 515,329 9,530 424 1 ,i 2361 1 „ 54 I860 25,714,288 528,624 13,210 502 1 „ 1946 1 o 40 1890 28.762,287 562,248 19,433 676 1 „ 1480 1 t, 29 1891 29,081,047 687,925 20,117 692 1 i, 1445 1 „ 29 1892 29,405,054 559,684 20,353 690 1 i. 1445 1 ,, 27 1893 29,731,100 569,958 21,135 711 1 .. 1407 1 ,i 27 The state of affairs thus revealed is of grave import. It seems certain that if unchecked, cancer will ere long become one of the commonest diseases of modern communities. Even now cancer causes more than four times as many deaths as typhoid fever; but while medical officers of health devote so much attention, in their reports, to the latter disease—which is decreasing—they hardly ever even allude to the former, and I believe they con- sider cancer outside their sphere. It is necessary to speak plainly on this subject, because the bulk of the profession and the general public, owing to the prevailing indifference, have but a very inadequate idea of its importance. It is high time that this neglect should cease. The subject is one that requires * A paper read at the Annual Meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Branch of the British Medical Association, held at Liverpool on June 19, 1895.
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