[Report 1925] / Medical Officer of Health, Cardiff County Borough & Port.

  • Cardiff (Wales). County Borough Council.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1925] / Medical Officer of Health, Cardiff County Borough & Port. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the latter body to erect a new hospital at Llandough, a report of 25th January, 1926, was submitted to the Council on the problem of hospital accommodation in Cardiff, an extract from which is embodied in this Report (Appendix II.). There can be no question as to the great need for additional general hospital accommodation, and, under existing circumstances, the Guardians are the only authority in a position to provide it. Population.—The Registrar-General's estimate of the population at June, 1925, was 227,300, as compared with 226,400 in 1924. The natural increase of population (i.e., the excess of births over deaths) in 1925, was 1,762, which added to last year's estimate would give a total population of about 228,000. The Registrar-General’s estimate in recent years does not cor- respond either with the natural increase or with the growth of the voters’ register and appears to be too low. Births.—The number of births accredited to Cardiff in 1925 was 4,678, giving a birth- rate of 20-6, compared with 21-6 per thousand of the population last year. Further details are contained in Section 2 and Appendix III. The number of still-births coming to the knowledge of the Department was 268, the sources of information being recorded in Section 7. Deaths.—The deaths from all causes numbered 2,916, giving a rate per thousand of the population of 12-8, as compared with 12-1 last year. Infants under one year accounted for 433 deaths, the rate of mortality per thousand births being 92, as against 78 last year. The cause of this very material increase has already been touched upon, and is also mentioned in Section 2. Causes of Death.—As usual, the main causes of death were respiratory (including influenza) 534, cardiac and arterial (including cerebral haemorrhage) 616, tuberculosis 348, and cancer 248. The total of 1,746 from these causes represents 60 per cent, of all deaths, a figure which may be taken as a sign-post pointing the way of public health progress. The approach to these problems would be much clearer if the statistics of sickness now in the hands of innumer- able friendly societies and insurance companies were compiled and published for public health areas. Cancer.—Reference has been made in previous Reports to the steadily increasing mortality from cancer in this city as elsewhere. On page 16 of this Report figures are included for survey purposes which reveal the extent of this increase. Both sexes are involved and, in the case of the Cardiff statistics, the increase is real and not due to any artificial transference of death certifications from one category to another, or to the change in the age distribution of the popula- tion. As in the case of tuberculosis in Cardiff, cancer is taking as the years go on a relatively larger toll of that age-group of the population who are most liable to suffer from it. • The actual number of deaths in 1925 was 248, and among the specific causes of death cancer took second place only to tuberculosis. The age distribution and localisation of disease are given in a table on page 16. It will be observed that 20 deaths occurred from cancer of the breast among females. It was mentioned in last year’s Report that, with the kind consent of the managers and medical staff of the Infirmary, an investigation into the end-results of operations for cancer of the breast was being undertaken. This enquiry has been completed and the results elaborately analysed by the Cancer Committee of the Ministry of Health in comparison with similar data from other towns. Briefly put, the enquiry established definitely the claims of surgery that excellent results can be obtained if early diagnosis is made and operation undertaken before the disease has become extensive. Unfortunately, there appears to be greater reluctance to seek medical advice and to undergo operation in Cardiff than in most other large cities. There is room for a great extension of this type of investigation, upon which any develop- ment of administrative procedure in relation to cancer must depend. Unfortunately, the steadily increasing volume of routine medical work is leaving the medical staff of this Department no time for such work. For the first time it is possible to include an analysis of cases of cancer voluntarily notified (page 17), but the obvious incompleteness of notification renders these figures of relatively little value for the present.