View report page

47
REMARKS ON OTHER VARIOUS DEATH CAUSES
Recognising the importance of ensuring as far as possible the
uniformity and comparability of statistics in relation to diseases
and causes of death, the Registrar-General has, from 1st January,
1950, implemented the Nomenclature Regulations, 1948, as
suggested by the World Health Organisation. Although these regulations
are not binding on Medical Officers of Health, it is essential
that the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries
and Causes of Death, 1965, should be adopted in order that local
statistics can be compared with national figures and national with
international.
Classification of Deaths.—It should be borne in mind that the
statistical data compiled locally relating to cause of death may not
entirely agree with the figures furnished to Local Authorities by the
Registrar-General. Classification of the pause of death is taken
from one or more causes as stated on the medical certificate in
accordance with the rules generally adopted throughout England
and Wales.
The Registrar-General is able, in cases where it is deemed desirable,
to obtain fuller information from the certifying practitioner.
This enables his department to modify the original classification—
hence the possibilities of discrepancies in some cases between the
figures prepared locally and those referred by the Registrar-General.
General
Following the general trend throughout the country, there was
a slight decrease of 3.1% in the total number of deaths of Borough
residents during 1967. Decreases in Greater London and England
and Wales were 3.1% and 3.7% respectively.
Little change was manifest when comparing the total number of
deaths in 1967 with those of the previous year but there were a
number of changes in cause distribution.
Mainly as a result of an increase in deaths from congenital
malformations, infant mortality showed a rise of over 7%. There
was an advance of 14% in motor vehicle accidents but suicides
showed a decline of almost 30%. Statistically the variations seem
substantial but, in these instances, actual numbers are small
leading to wide and probably only temporary fluctuations.
Decreases were recorded in respect of Vascular Lesions of the
Nervous System (11%), Heart Disease (4%), Pneumonia (almost
25%) and Bronchitis (over 9%) but, contrarywise. Cancer (all
forms) experienced a rise of over 7% mainly as the result of an
increase of 21.8% in Lung Cancer and an advance of the order
of 20% in Carcinoma of the Breast. Leukaemia sustained an