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Tuberculosis of the Respiratory System was responsible for
12 of the deaths in this category, only one death being attributed
to the remaining forms of tuberculosis.
At 0.13, the Pulmonary Tuberculosis rate was 0.06 higher than
that returned for the previous year.
Cancer.—Cancer is generally considered to be a disease of
middle and old age and, as indicated in my Annual Report for 1950,
as the proportion of middle-aged and elderly persons in the population
becomes greater, one would normally expect a rise in the
incidence of this disease. In addition, improved diagnosis and more
accurate certification will effect an apparent rise in the number of
cancer deathsi An increase in numbers therefore, is not, per se,
necessarily an indication of increased morbidity.
Cancer was responsible for a total of 187 deaths giving a rate
of 2.11 per thousand, these figures showing increases of 18 and 0.22
respectively over those of the previous year. The total indicates
that approximately one in every five deaths resulted from cancer
of one form or another. Since 1901 the yearly percentage of cancer
deaths has risen from 4.2 to 21.4, the figure for 1956.