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12
years the death-rates for males per 1,000 have been 1.063, 1.057, 1.055, 0.963; the
increase now appears to be halted and, perhaps, reversed. For females the deathrates
have been 0.818, 0.868, 0.860, 0.811; and the increase, which had been
progressive up to 1948, has also at least suffered a temporary pause. The increase
in cancer of the genito-urinary organs in males has been large and can hardly be
attributed to diagnostic advances: deaths in the last five years have been 441, 433,
456, 470 and 514; the increase appears to be continuing.
Digestive
The mortality from digestive diseases (other than cancer) was 0.44 per 1,000.
Within this group the death-rate from ulcer of the stomach or duodenum was 0.17
per 1,000, compared with 0.15 in 1949 and 0.17 in 1948.
Diabetes

Pneumonia
and other
respiratory
diseases
Mortality from pneumonia rose sharply in 1940 and remained higher than
formerly until 1943, when it began to fall, reaching in 1945 and maintaining in 1946,
a level lower than the average of the immediate pre-war years. The rate for " other
respiratory diseases " was distorted in 1940, by the statistical revision, but thereafter
declined fairly steadily. In 1947, however, there was an increase in respiratory
mortality, associated with the severe weather conditions of February and March.
In contrast, 1948 was a year of very light mortality for respiratory disease. The
general downward trend is, however, clear and an important factor is no doubt the
discovery of sulphonamide and anti-biotic therapies. The pneumonia death-rate for
1950 was 0.50 per 1,000 and the rate for " other respiratory diseases," excluding bronchitis,
was 0.10.
Tuberculosis
Road
accidents
Mortality from tuberculosis is discussed on page 23.
Deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 1950 amounted to 245, compared with
257 in 1949 and 248 in 1948. While the addition to the death-rate caused by road
accidents is small, the public should be reminded that each year a heavier toll is
taken by the roads than by any poliomyelitis outbreak so far experienced and more
die in street accidents than succumb to diabetes.
Other
violence
Other violent causes accounted for 1,253 deaths, The peaks in the diagram on
page 9 are due to the heavy toll of air raids.
General