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Inquests. Inquests were held on 31 deaths occurring in
the district, 15 of which were in respect of residents. The
verdicts returned were as follows:—
(1) Natural Causes 3
(2) Suicide by—
Coal Gas Poisoning . 3
Strangulation by Hanging 2
Bullet Wound in Head 1
Run over by Train 1
— 7
(3) Accidental Deaths—
Collision with motor vehicles 12
Toxaemia following burns 2
Pall in street 1
Fall from moving train 1
Coal Gas Poisoning I
— 17
(4) Misadventure—
Shock following operation 1
(Congenital Hydrocephalus)
Status Lymphaticus accelerated by
ether anaesthesia 1
2
(5) Unclassified—
Multiple injuries by being run over
train 1
Coal Gas Poisoning 1
— 2
31
The total number of inquests held were five more than in
the year before. Road accidents were responsible for twelve
of the total accidental deaths, compared with six for the previous
year.
CAUSES OF DEATH.
The commonest single cause of death in the list of causes
this year is cancer with 126 and the next common cause heart
disease with 125, that is just a reversal of the usual order.
Although, as pointed out last year when the greater accuracy
of certification of cancer is borne in mind, it is likely that
cancer is genuinely the commonest single cause. As will be
seen on page 14 its rate has been 1.7 per thousand for the
past four years and it has risen only 0.3 per thousand in the
past decade.
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