Document baNvEw1Dv3KX0v6EOEjyJnpRg

CONCEPT AND SIGNIFICANCE .19 in the incidence of occupational neoplasms in different countries. This investi gator contended that the scarcity of recorded industrial cajicers in the United States was attributable to the fact that the workers in America are unusually intelligent and susceptible to educational influence} that they desire to know the truth and facts of a given situation and frequently govern their conduct accordingly} that this observation applies to no class of workers more than to those who are connected with the chemical industries in which malignant growths are unusually frequent in other countries. It is idle to speculate on, or argue about, the relative intelligence and self-reliance of industrial workers of different countries and their alleged influence upon the incidence and pre vention of occupational malignancy. Then, too, it is more than doubtful whether American chemical workers are more thoroughly informed concern ing the biological properties of the substances they come in contact with, or have a better opportunity to acquire such information, than their colleagues in other countries. But this is certain, the chemical industry of the United States has contributed its fair share or even more than that to the number of "recorded" industrial cancers. Hoffman's claim is highly objectionable, as it is apt to produce a spurious feeling of safety and superiority, which is especially ill placed in view of the fact that adequate industrial health legis lation and laws on occupational diseases in many states of our country are of very recent date, or still non-existent. 4. STATISTICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPATION AND GENERAL CANCER INCIDENCE The general and increasing interest in the problem of malignant neoplasms, prevailing since several decades, has fostered relatively early statistical inves tigations into the relative incidence of cancer in various occupational and social groups (Braithwaitej Newsholme [1881-1890, England]} Connel [United States]; Behla [1908]; Wolf; Weinberg; Aschoff [1887-1899]} Loth [1900]} Karupp; Gollmer [Germany]). Aschoff, as well as Loth, found a rather high mortality from cancer, especially epithelioma of the skin, among gardeners, which Loth suggested was caused possibly by contact with chemical fertilizer or by parasitical infection contracted from infested soil. Similarly, a high cancer mortality among English and Hungarian farm ers was noted by Braithwaite and Jacobs, respectively, while Newsholme's analysis put this occupational group into second place as to relative cancer mortality, the highest place being occupied by chimney sweeps, where the ratio was found to be 70:156. Connell, on the other hand, listed farmers in eighth place, with workers, sailors and fishermen, smiths, nurses, clergymen, servants, and masons pre ceding them, and merchants and gardeners following them in the order of relative incidence of cancer deaths. In the statistical studies reported by Behla, members of the literary profession exhibited the highest cancer mortality. They