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II. PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES
WEATHER CONDITIONS
January was a dry and generally mild month, and February commenced dry but then became
unsettled and windy. March also was rather mild, April being cool and mainly dry. May saw
the wettest Whitsun since records began in 1871, and overall the month was wet and thundery.
Sunshine in June was average, with some heavy rain in the latter part. July was the warmest
since 1959; August being changeable at first but settled later. September had less than
average sunshine, and was followed by a wet October. A dry frosty November was almost fog
free, the year terminating with alternating mild and cold spells in December.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES - NOTIFICATIONS
The number of notified cases of infectious disease, corrected for revised diagnosis and
duplicate notifications, was 2,265, compared with 2,267 during the previous year.
Liaison is maintained with general practitioners and hospitals in the area by a monthly
bulletin which is circulated giving them information on the number of infectious diseases
occurring in the borough during the month, the number of new claims for sickness benefit
received at local offices of the Ministry of Social Security in the area, and other relevant
information from time to time.
A summary of notifications of infectious diseases received during the year will be found
on page 96 and a list of diseases notifiable in the borough on page OR.
ANTHRAX
No case of anthrax was reported during the year.
CANCER
Of a total of 539 deaths from cancer occurring this year 181 were due to cancer of the
lung. The death rate of lung cancer was 0.91 per 1,000 population, an increase of 18% over
last year.
In a Parliamentary answer on 8th May, the Minister of Health stated that, in 1965 deaths
of 22,231 males and 4,167 females in England and Wales were certified as being the result of
cancer of the lung and bronchus, averaging 60.9 and 11.4 deaths per day. If average rates of
increase experienced in years 1962 - 1966 were maintained until 1970 it is estimated that
deaths from this cause per year would number 25,000 equivalent to 69 per day for males, and
5,500 equivalent to 15 per day for females.
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