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a concentrated effort be made to achieve complete registration in a
few selected regions. In February 1954, the Minister of Health
requested reports on this suggestion from Regional Hospital Boards
and Boards of Governors and it seems likely that a number of
regions will be operating full regional schemes in the near future.
Vascular Lesions of Nervous System.—This class, which
includes deaths arising from Cerebral Haemorrhage, Embolism and
Thrombosis was responsible for a total of 84 deaths. The age
distribution was as follows :—1 between 15 and 25 years ; 2 between
25 and 45 years ; 15 between 45 and 65 years ; 26 between 65 and
75 years and 40 from 75 years upwards.
Heart Disease.—Under the new classifications this disease has
been divided into three sub-headings: (a) Coronary Disease,
Angina, (b) Hypertension with Heart Disease, and (c) Other Heart
Disease.
The total deaths occasioned by these amounted to 252 compared
with a figure of 257 for 1954 and, as usual, the deaths from this
class occupied the principal place in the classification of diseases.
The speed and strain of modern civilization is thought to have
a great bearing on diseases of the heart and circulation and it is
pertinent to state here that in Greenwich almost 25% of the deaths
from these so called ' stress' diseases occurred in people between
the ages of 25 and 65 years, the most productive period of life. It
is significant too, that males formed, by far, the larger proportion
of the deaths in this age category.
Social and environmental conditions are probably pre-disposing
factors in hypertension and coronary disease but recent research
has focussed attention on diet and, in particular, on fatty acids.
Should these suspicions become substantiated then coronary
artery disease becomes in part, a preventable disease.
Diseases of the Respiratory System. — There were
altogether 110 deaths from these diseases, Bronchitis accounting
for 59 and Pneumonia (all forms) for 44.
Of the total deaths 2 were children under one year of age
and 77 were in respect of persons 65 years and over.
Infl??? —There was one death attributed to this cause
during th.??? compared with a nil return for last year. Fifteen
were recorded during 1953.