Climate and Cancer.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 245, 10 March 1888, Page 8

Climate and Cancer.

Itr an article on "Climate and Cancer," the " St. James's Gazette" states that; " one of the commonest generalisations about cancer is that it more frequently appears in low-lying areas than in Ihe higher regions of the earth's surface ; and no better example of the fact can bo afforded than by the geographical distribution of fcho diseaso throughout England. Out of every million deaths from all causes, those from cancor number about 30,000. This proportion is only exceeded by phthisis, old age, convulsions, bronchitis, pneumonia, and "debility.' Next to consumption, cancor id tho most fatal of all the constitutional diseases, and ! it has been steadily gaining ground for more than twenty years. Taking the wholoof England at the present time, one out of loss than every 2,000 people is doomed to die of this disease. The average rate is exceeded in low-lying and humid counties, while in tho counties of more elevated area and drier atmosphoro it is frequently not attainod to. A remarkablo confirmation of the theory as to tho relation between climate and cancer is found on tho other side of the globe, in our Australian colonies. There, as bore, consumption is by far the most constitutional disease. There, as here, cancer comes next on the list ; there also tho disease is gaining ground every year ; and there, too, it is most fatal in the most humid of the colonies. The rainfall of Tasmania is heavier than that of any of tho colonies on the mainland or on New Zealand. Victoria comes next, then New Zealand, the Now South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, and Queensland. Tho death -rato from cancer per 10,000 persons living (taking tho mean of three years) is as follows : — Tasmania, 5*14 ; Victoria, 4*60; South Australia, 316; New Zealand, 3fll;3 f ll ; Western Australia, 3*08 ; Queensland, 268 ; New South Wales, 2*59. We should add that in Victoria especially the disease has much increased of late years. I Wo have tho figures down to 1885 only, but I these show that during the ten years ended with 1880 it caused only one death in every 41 from all causes, while in 1884 the proportion had risen to one in 30, and in 1885 to one in 32. Moreover, since 1860 the deathrate from it has increased steadily from less than two to nearly five per 10,000 of the population, although the death-rate from all causes has diminished. At this moment cancer is nearly as prevalent in Tasmania and Victoria as in England."