The geographic distribution of disease in Great Britain.

  • Haviland, Alfred, -1903.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The geographic distribution of disease in Great Britain. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    Cancer Death-rates on Clays and Limestones. JO 19*89. During the same period among the loiv-morta\ity districts of Cumberland, Westmorland, and the Lake District, characterised by carboniferous and other limestones, the annual mortality only reached 927, or 10-52 less annually among every 10,000 women living above 35 years of age, which in the twenty years means a saving of 210 lives from cancer, when the mortality in the clayey and flooded districts is compared with what obtained during the same period in the limestone. These figures, compared w7ith the mean death-rate from cancer among; women throughout England and Wales during the twenty years 1851-70, would be as follows :— Average for England and Wales ... 14'40. Flooded and Clay Districts ... 1989. Limestone Districts ... ... 9*27. The limestone mortality compared) In 20 years shows a with clayey and flooded districts ) saving of 210 lives. The same compared with England] In 20 years shows a and Wales ... ... ... ) saving of 102 lives. These are striking facts, and cannot fail to impress us with the necessity of studying local climates, not only in relation to man's immediate requirements as regards temperature, winds, weight of atmosphere, etc., but with due regard to the requirements of lowly vegetable organisms; the habits of these microphytic parasites have to be studied on the spot, and, wherever possible, before they have entered into the rich soil and tropical climate of their destined hosts. We have yet to learn much of their natural history; we have to hunt out their relation to the limestone-loving or clay-loving phanerogams; we have to discover the connection between our wheat-yield and the prevalence of rheumatism and heart disease : why these districts in which the malaria of rheu- matism loves to dwell should be characterized by a low wheat-yield, whilst where rheumatism is infrequent aud heart-