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The number of deaths from suicide dropped from 29
to 25 but this is not large enough to be of much significance
and one hopes this figure will show a much bigger reduction
in future years.
There were two deaths from infectious disease, one
of meningococcal infection and one of poliomyelitis. Among
the notified cases of pneumonia there were three deaths.
One death was attributed to pregnancy and childbirth.
The infant mortality rate of 25 per 1,000 live births was a
little higher than in recent years. Altogether 34 infants
died under the age of one year, of whom 27 died before reaching
the age of one month.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
The year 1956 proved to be a comparatively healthy
one in Hampstead. The total number of cases of notifiable
disease was 566, of which 243 were cases of measles. Although
the incidence of measles did not reach epidemic proportions it
is interesting to note the steady increase in the monthly
number of cases up to July and the decrease during the second
half of the year.
Measles
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2 6 2 6 17 25 59 48 28 32 9 9
If eases of measles are excluded the totals for the
remaining notifiable diseases have shown a steady improvement
in the last six years.
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956
595 453 460 444 381 323
The summer of 1956 proved to be completely free of
poliomyelitis in Hampstead. The two cases which did occur,
both of the paralytic variety, occurred in March. It is with
regret that I record the death of one of these cases, a woman
of 29 years of age. The other case, in a boy aged 2¼ years
was comparatively mild.
The diagnosis of polionyelitis is often extremely
difficult and it is becoming increasingly common for cases to
be admitted to hospital for diagnosis. During the year 17 cases
were admitted to hospital as "Query Poliomyelitis" but in all