London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Coulsdon and Purley 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
This page requires JavaScript
The principal causes of death locally during 1955 together with the rates per cent of total deaths, are shown in the following table, the corresponding figures in respect of ordinary residents only being shown in brackets:—
| Cause. | Number of Deaths. | Rate per cent, of Total Deaths. |
|---|---|---|
| Heart and circulatory diseases | 459 (274) | 50.1 (48.6) |
| Cancer, malignant disease | 143 (108) | 15.6 (19.1) |
| Pneumonia | 89 (30) | 9.7 (5.3) |
| Bronchitis | 26 (20) | 2.8 (3.5) |
| Accidents | 30 (18) | 3.3 (3.1) |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | 14 (8) | 1.5 (1.4) |
(A full list of the causes of deaths and the ages at which
they occurred is given in Table IV. in the Appendix.)
HEART AND CIRCULATORY DISEASE.
Among the ordinary residents the death rate from heart and
other circulatory disease was 4.50 compared with an average of
5.06 in the preceding five years. As this group includes a high
proportion of elderly people dying virtually of old age, it is not
regrettable if this particular rate remains high.
Ignoring the mental hospital group, this year 80 per cent of
residents dying from heart and circulatory disease were over 65
years of age at the time of death, compared with an average of
79 per cent in the previous five years, while 52 per cent were over
75 years of age. (Incidentally, 67 per cent of deaths from all
causes were over 65 years, which is the same as the average for
the five preceding years).
CANCER.
The cancer death rate in respect of normal residents was 1.77
in 1955 compared with an average of 1.87 in the previous five
years. This is the second consecutive year in which there has
been a slight decline in this rate and, allowing for the variations
apt to occur when dealing with comparatively small numbers, at
least a tendency to stabilisation can be justifiably assumed.
10