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
Merton and Morden 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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| (1) Accidental Deaths— | ||
| Collision with motor vehicles | 6 | |
| Fall at home | 1 | |
| Gunshot wound | 1 | |
| Injury from train collision | 1 | 9 |
| (2) Misadventure— | ||
| Asphyxia by inhalation | 2 | 2 |
| (3) Suicide by— | ||
| Asphyxia due to hanging | 1 | |
| Coal gas poisoning | 2 | |
| Collision with train | 1 | 4 |
| 15 | ||
The total number of inquests held were four less than in the
year before. Road accidents were responsible for six of the
total accidental deaths, compared with four for the previous year.
CAUSES OF DEATH.
The table on page 19 gives the causes of death for the year
1948. It will be seen that heart disease maintains first place as
a cause of death with 170, Cancer following next in order with
110. Intra-cranial vascular lesions is responsible for 66 and, as
this disease is probably one of the most reliably certified causes,
its place on the list is likely to be maintained. Tuberculosis
comes fourth in the list with 35 deaths, a slight increase over the
last year, when there were 32 deaths from this disease. It will
be seen that of the 35 deaths, 21 were males and 14 were females,
all of these deaths, with the exception of one, being from
Pulmonary Tuberculosis. These deaths are further analysed
into their age groups in Table XXV. on page 73.
It is gratifying to record that the number of deaths from
Cancer has steadily fallen since 1946. It is, however, a salutary
thought that deaths from this disease represent over one-fifth of
the deaths from all causes.
17