[Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashford U.D.C.

  • Ashford (Kent, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1961
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashford U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    succeeding decennial age groups. These figures, although too small for valid statistical comparisons, would not seem to indicate that smoking is a primary or precipitating factor in causation. Another disputatious factor is the fact that the proportion of the middle-aged population has steadily increased since the introduction of the Sulphonamides in 1936 and the antibiotics in 1940; treatment with which has prevented innumerable deaths from bacterial diseases of which the outstanding example 'is Pneumonia; there is, therefore a considerably greater proportion of middle-aged persons open to risk from other diseases such as Coronary Thrombosis and Cancer of the Lung. Conner, as invariably in previous years, was the second highest cause of deaths, of which there were 59 i.e. 8 less than in the previous year. Considerable advances in the various forms of treatment have been made within recent years, and in consequence complete cure can be effected if a diagnosis is established at a reasonably eaidy stage. Delay by elderly people in consulting their practitioners would appear to be the most common factor associated with late diagnosis having regard to the fact that the onset and progress of the disease are usually insidious. Cancer of the Lung was the cause of 16 deaths compared with 22 in the previous year; of those 14 were male and 2 female. The ages at deaths were in the following age groups:- Age Proup Ages Numbers 41 - 50 46, 49, 49 3 51 - 60 52, 56, 56(F.), 58(F.) 4 61 - 70 61, 61, 61, 65, 68, 70 6 71 - 80 75, 76, 76 3 Total 16 Of the total deaths from Cancer, Lung Cancer caused 27%• Diagnosis of Lung Cancer at a reasonably early stage before the disease becomes inoperable, is difficult and the percentage of successful operations is correspondingly fewer and it may be assumed that the mortality rate is not significantly influenced by treatment. In constrast, the diagnosis and treatment of Cancer of the Breast are not difficult; there were, nevertheless, five of those deaths and C the same proportion of males in the population were females it is not improbable that the number would have been ten. Having regard to the much higher proportion of successful operations for Cancer of the Breast, it would be reasonable to assume that the morbidity from Cancer of the Breast may be higher than that from Cancer of the Lung. The occupations of those who died from the latter were miscellaneous and would not appear to have any significance. The excessive inhalation of cigarette smoke, apart from the danger of Lung Cancer, is an irritant to the bronchi of the lungs and there is no doubt that it is a cause of respiratory catarrh and coughing, and may lead to chronic bronchitis and emphysema; if only for this reason, parents should make every effort to discourage their children from becoming addicted. There were no deaths due to the Infectious Diseases. The Irfactious Diseases A new era has been reached as far as these diseases are concerned. All the more serious infections can be effectively controlled and prevented by immunisation or vaccination and the bacterial diseases successfully treated by the Sulpha drugs and Antibiotics. For example, no case of Diphtheria has occurred in this District since 1948, and no case of Poliomyelitis since 1957*