View report page

54
Total deaths in the Borough from all forms of tuberculosis
numbered 7 thus showing a reduction of 5 from 1967 and producing
a rate of 0.03. Of the deaths registered, 5 were males and
2 females, one of the former being of the non-pulmonary type.
The comparable rate for England and Wales was 0.04 and that
returned for Greater London 0.06.
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 1968 there were 86 deaths from violence in the Borough,
giving a rate of 0.37 per 1,000 population compared with a rate of
0.47 for England and Wales and 0.42 for Greater London.
Motor Vehicle Accidents—Road accidents, which are now the
commonest cause of death in adolescents and young adults, were
responsible for 6,249 deaths in England and Wales during the year.
This represents a 12.7% improvement over the previous year when
the total was 7,160.
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.
Twenty-two persons in the Borough died from motor vehicle
accidents during 1968, a decrease of 10 from those recorded for the
previous year. The calculated rate of 0.10 compares with 0.13 and
0.11, the rates 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 1968 amounted to the formidable figure of
4,584, giving a rate of 0.10 per 1,000 population. Moreover, of this
total, almost one seventh, viz. 963, were recorded in London,
giving a rate of 0.12. This compares with 28 deaths and a rate of
0.12 for Greenwich showing increases of 11 and 0.05 respectively.
Figures for London in particular throw into relief a psychiatric
problem which is becoming very familiar in the cities of countries
which sustain high living standards, for deaths from suicide in the
Metropolis were more than twice those for tuberculosis and 12%
higher than the total deaths from road accidents.