The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-05-27


All the New England States have in
dividual cancer death rates much high
er than this. Connecticut's rate, which
was the lowest Of any Of the New
England States, was S5.1. Nermont's
rate was the highest with lll.7, while
the rates Of the other states were cor
respondingly high, Maine having a rate
Of 1915, New Hampshire lO4.4, Mas
sachusetts 1914, and Rhode Island
g3.3. When these figures are compar-
ed with those of Kentucky, with rate
Of AS, they seem indeed very high.
They mean that 6,Sl7 people died in
1913 in New England from cancer.
But it does not necessarily follow that
cancer is more common in New Eng
Hand than elsewhere. The Census
Bureau attributes the high cancer
death rates in certain districts TO the
relatively high age distribution of the
population and the negligible amount
of immigration. Translated into ev-
eryday terms this means that in New
England the proportion of people over
40 years of age, or at the cancer age,
TO those under 40, and so less liable to
cancer, is greater than in other
places. Yet there is no doubt that the
cancer death rate in New England as
well as in other parts of the country
is much higher than it ought to be.
Without question a large percentage
of cancer deaths can be prevented by
early recognition of the symptoms and
prompt recourse to competent surgical
advice and treatment. Cancer is not
a hopeless incurable affection, as SO
many people wrongly believe. Those
who know the facts believe that If the
public can be properly educated in re-
gard to the early signs of the disease
and will act on this knowledge, the
present mortality should be reduced at
least half and perhaps two-thirds.
That New England is awake to this
opportunity of saving lives is evident
from the activity in several states. To
protest against taxation without rep
resentation the patriots Of Massachu-
sets dumped overheard the famous
cargo of tea. Vermont medical men
have become so concerned over the
high cancer death rate of their state
that they are going to hold a tea
party" of another sort and attempt to
dump overheard the high death rate
from malignant disease. While their
action is not so dramatic as that of the
patriot raiders they hope to prove that
its great ultimate benefit to
the community it will be almost as pat
riotic. The New Hampshire State
Board of Health has recently publish
ed sound advice in its bulletin. In
Maine an active committee of the
State Medical Society is arranging
public lectures and causing the publ
cation of instructive articles in the
Newspapers. Massachusetts has a
we'll organized branch of the American
Society for the Control of Cancer with
headquarters in Boston. The Vermont
State Medical Society has arranged
series Of public meetings to spread the
bad news of the high cancer death
rate and the good news Of the hope Of
the disease by earlier rec
ignition and prompt surgical treat
nent. Morning, afternoon and even
ng meetings will be held on Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
June Sth to 18th, at Rutland, Burling-
on, Montpelier, and st. Johnsbury. ,
The Vermont State Board of Health /
will send its secretary, DR.. Charles F. {
Dalton. to address each of these meet
ngs and the American Society for the
Control of Cancer will be represented /
" DR.. Francis Carter Wood, Director ]
# Cancer Research at Columbia Uni
yersity, New York City, and by DR..
I. NJ. Wainwright, Chairman of the
Cancer Committee of the Pennsylvania c
State Medical Society. !