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16
The following table shows the social classification in relation to
registered births, registered infant deaths, notified stillbirths and
notified premature births, an extra line being added to each group to
indicate the percentages. Apart from the registered births the figures
are too small to be significant; the percentages in the category of
registered births can be compared with those for the registered deaths
shown in table 6.

Lung cancer
In the last report I gave details of recent statistics for the borough,
particularly in relation to wards. The increase in cases still continues
and last year there were 83 male deaths and 13 female deaths from this
disease compared with 77 and 9 respectively in the previous year.
I mentioned the association with tobacco smoking, particularly cigarette
smoking, in the report and this association has subsequently received
considerable publicity on a national scale, including a statement by the
Minister of Health and by the offer of a large sum of money by tobacco
companies for investigation of the disease. Perhaps the exact nature of
the association will become apparent shortly, or perhaps it may turn
out to be one of the mysterious problems which take a long time to
unravel. In the meanwhile, therefore, it is only right that public attention
should again be called to the fact that this form of cancer is one which is
to a large extent preventable through action by the individual, namely
by giving up or considerably curtailing the amount of tobacco, particularly
cigarette tobacco, used. This is of more importance the younger
the person is, as lung cancer may take 20-30 years to develop.
Coronary disease
Another cause of death, which, like lung cancer, has increased
rapidly in recent years, is disease of the main blood vessels of the muscles
of the heart itself — the coronary arteries. This disease, which has