London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Coulsdon and Purley 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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DEATHS
The number of deaths registered during 1964 as belonging
to this District was 866 (391 males and 475 females), Of this total
217 deaths (74 males and 143 females) occurred in the mental
hospitals. The uncorrected death rate was 11.5, but the corrected
death rate which allows for the high proportion of deaths occurring
in the mental hospitals was 8.9 which compares with the rate of
11.3 for England and Wales.
In order that a more accurate comparison can be made, the
records in respect of normal residents have been kept separate
from those of mental hospital patients and a full list of the causes
of deaths and the ages at which they occurred is given in Table
III.
The principal causes of death during 1964 are shown in the following table:—
TABLE 11
| Cause. | Number of Deaths | |
|---|---|---|
| General Population | Mental Hospitals | |
| Vascular lesions of nervous system | 81 | 24 |
| Heart and circulatory diseases | 248 | 62 |
| Pneumonia | 41 | 40 |
| Bronchitis | 16 | 28 |
| Accidents | 36 | 5 |
| Malignant neoplasms other than lung | 96 | 8 |
| Malignant neoplasm, lung | 41 | 4 |
HEART AND CIRCULATORY DISEASE
Among the ordinary residents the death rate from heart and
circulatory disease was 4-10 compared with an average of 3-56
in the preceding five years.
CANCER
The number of deaths from malignant neoplasms in the
general population was 137. Forty-one of these, i.e. 29% were due
to cancer of the lung.
MATERNAL MORTALITY
Unfortunately there was one maternal death in 1964 with a
resultant maternal mortality rate of 0.8 per 1,000 live and still
births compared with that of 0.25 for England and Wales.
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