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59
Tuberculosis
Despite the great improvement witnessed in recent times in
respect of the control of tuberculosis, it is clear that the preventive
services have still a vital part to play during the coming years for,
with the exception of pneumonia, tuberculosis continues to cause
more deaths than any other notifiable infectious disease.
Deaths in the Borough from tuberculosis numbered 14, all of
the respiratory type, producing a rate of 0.06 per 1,000 population.
This indicates a slightly less favourable situation than that for the
previous year. Of the 14 deaths registered, 10 were males, 9 of
whom were over the age of 55 years.
The comparable rate for England and Wales was 0.05, a
similar figure to that returned for Greater London.
Violent Deaths
As a classification, the term 'violent death' includes those
deaths arising from motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide and
'other forms' of accident.
During 1965 there were 108 deaths from violence in the
Borough, giving a rate of 0.47 per 1,000 population compared with
a rate of 0.50 for England and Wales and 0.45 for Greater London.
Motor Vehicle Accidents.—Road accidents, which are now the
commonest cause of death in adolescents' and young adults, were
responsible for 7,515 deaths in England and Wales during the year
and the total is mounting.
Justifiably, much has been made of the serious nature of the
increase in deaths from cancer and heart disease but it must be
recognised that, from a national and economic standpoint, a child
who is killed in a road accident is a greater potential loss to the
community than a person over 65 years who dies from either of the
other causes.
Thirty-five persons in the Borough died from this cause during
the current year, a reduction of 5 from the previous year, with a
rate of 0.15 compared with the rates of 0.16 and 0.14 for England
and Wales and Greater London respectively.
Suicide.—Contrary to general belief, suicide continues to claim
a substantial number of victims. In England and Wales, the number
of suicides during 1965 amounted to the formidable figure of 5,161,
giving a rate of 0.11 per 1,000 population. Moreover, of this total,
over one fifth, viz. 1,103 were recorded in London, giving a rate
of 0.14 compared with 32 deaths and a rate of 0.13 for Greenwich.
Figures for London in particular throw into relief a psychiatric
problem which is becoming very familiar in the cities of countries