Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of Johannesburg.

  • Johannesburg (South Africa)
Date:
[1911]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of Johannesburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    53/140 (page 30)
    * 30 The English Registrar-General points out, however, that cancer-rates are most m.O.h. correctly estimated by comparing the total deaths at ages above 35 years with the Cancer number then living, and as the matter of cancer death-rates is one of some general Miners’ interest, Dr. G. D. Maynard has kindly worked out the following comparative rates:— Sl3' European Cancer Death-Rates per Million. J ohannesburg— Crude Annual Death-rates for 1009-10 and 1910-11 T. 510 M. 494 1 ,• 1 ® w o ■ 1 ' 1 Johannesburg— Corrected Annual Death-rates for 1909-10 and 1910-11 Correction Factors obtained from Census Report, 1910 828 725 884 Cancer Death-rate, England and Wales, 1909 .. 952 826 1,071 Corrected Cancer Death-rate, England and Wales, Urban Areas, 1909 990 867 1,106 Comparative Mortality of Local Corrected Death-rates, putting England Urban Rates —100 .. 84 84 80 J ohannesburg— Crude Death-rates for ages 35 and over .. 1,493 1,219 1,970 England and Wales— Crude Death-rates for ages 35 and over as (1891-1900) 2,31G 1,870 2,715 In 10 cases the seat of the disease was not stated; in 29 the stomach was affected; in 16 the liver; in 6 the breastpin 13 the womb, etc.; in 7 the mouth or tongue; in 5 the jaw; in 4 each the abdomen, bowels and throat; in 3 each the kidneys and lungs; in 2 each the prostate and rectum; and in 1 each the pylorus, bladder, omentum, ilium, glands and pelvis. Natives—• 26 deaths were recorded, 14 being at ages under 35 and 12 at later periods. The parts affected are recorded as follows : Liver 17, stomach 2, throat 2, lung 2, abdomen 1, prostate 1, not stated 1. The death-rate per 1,000 living was O’13, but it should be remembered that this population consists in Johannesburg mainly of young male adults who remain here a comparatively short time. EuTafricans— Three deaths were recorded, two females and one male, all over 35. In the two female cases the stomach was affected, and in the male case the throat. Asiatics— Five deaths occurred, all of which were males and at ages above 35. The part affected was the stomach in two cases, the throat and bowels in one case each, and one was unspecified. MINERS’ PHTHISIS, ROCKDRILL PNEUMONIA OR SILICOSIS. The causes, prevalence and prevention of Miners’ Phthisis have been carefully investigated by the Transvaal Mining Regulations Commission, which reported in March, 1910, and by the Commission on “ Miners’ Phthisis and Pulmonary Tuberculosis “ on Mines within the Union of South Africa,” which reported in March, 1912. As the findings of these Commissions are lengthy, and as the reports referred to may be obtained from the Government Printer, Pretoria, it is not considered necessary to summarise them here. D 1909-11 Phthi-