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12
As far as accidents are concerned, a little more direct
comparison can be made as the causes of accidents were roughly
analysed for 1904. Of course, the 15 deaths from motor vehicle
accidents in 1954 have no counterpart in 1904, although the
figures for other accidents show a drop from 75 in the earlier
year to 49 in 1954.
From the rough analysis given, the 1904 accidents were
what are now called home accidents, and although the number
has dropped in 1954, it still represents 49 preventable deaths.
This figure of 49 has some significance to the public health
department in view of the decline, say, in the deaths from
infectious diseases noted earlier. Both sets of causes are
preventable to some extent, and the decline in one set enables
our resources to be deployed against the other. The figures
seem to confirm the present policy of vigilance regarding
the infections and positive measures to prevent accidents.
From the tables on pages 8 and 9 it is clear that no easy
answer can be given to the question "What are Kensington
residents dying of now compared with fifty years ago?". For
example, there are no deaths recorded in 1904 for such causes
as acute poliomyelitis, meningococcal infections, diabetes,
leukaemia, ulcers of the stomach, nephritis and nephrosis.
The table does give some general pointers which are, however,
difficult to formulate definitely without combining a review
of sociological factors with the facts of medicine over the
last fifty years.