SMOKE, DRINK, CANCER.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1916, Page 2

SMOKE, DRINK, CANCER.

" TAKE TEA TO ESCAPE DREAD DISEASE. Alter an analysis of the haVh of 135 men anil 77 women who died from cancer in Woolwich last year, Dr. Dayica, the loqal medical officer, arrives at the concision that alcohol ind poking («spe* ?ially alcohol) have 'sonn' ; general effect n promoting eancer, bui clijslly exert their injurious influence locally. The loctor states: Cancerous persons had 32 per cent ,of >xeessive alcohol users and 41 per cent, excessive smoKers. Non-eancerous per>ona lil ing to a greater age had 14 per 'ent. oi excessive alcohol users ard 10 per oont. excessive smokers. The percentage of excessive alcohol Irinkers and large smokers among those lying from cancer is more than twice as ligli as among other per; on*. Those differences are.sti > more mnrk;d with respect to atcohoi and smoking f only those who died from cmeer of lie mouth and throat are considered )f persons dying from cancer of the ips, -tongue, jaws, larynx, oesophagus uid cervical glands, 31,' or 46 per cent., ;ook alcohol excessively, while 51, or i per cent, smoked excessively. Twenty-three of these patients smoked hieHy a clay pipe, 10 a briar or other brm of pipe, and 10 sometimes a clay mil sometimes a briar, two cigarettes ind two cigars. There were only four mt of the 11 cas«s of cancer of the iiouth or tongue who did not smoke; wo of these had bad teeth. Among the non-cancerous cases all the inokers smoked pipes (29 clay and 19 iriar, and three both), except one, who moked cigarettes. Tea-drinking does not seem to ba specially injurious locally nr generally » far as eancer is concerned.