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INTRODUCTION
Vital
statistics
The home population of the County in the middle of 1956 was estimated by the
Registrar-General to be 3,273,000—a decrease of 22,000 as compared with the previous
year. The average age of the population was 37.5 years and the percentage above the
age of 65 years was 11.8.
A rise in the number of births gave a live birth rate of 15.9 per thousand population,
higher than in any year since 1949. Of the total live births 8.4 per cent were illegitimate,
the highest figure recorded since 1946. The still-birth rate, 20.2 per thousand total births,
was somewhat lower than in 1955 but remained of the same order as has been experienced
over some years; the legitimate and illegitimate rates were respectively 19.8 and 29.6.
The death rate, 11.7 per thousand of the population, was higher than in 1955. The
increase in mortality was mainly among the aged and the diseases affecting old age.
Heart disease was the major cause of death and again accounted for nearly one-third
of the total deaths whilst cancer, the second cause of death, showed a further increased
rate of 2.42 as compared with 2.39 per thousand in 1955. The degenerative diseases,
heart disease, other circulatory diseases, cerebral vascular lesions, nephritis and bronchitis
following the pattern of previous years were responsible for over half all deaths. The
sixth cause of death, violence, again showed a slight increase and the number of deaths
from road accidents was the highest recorded since the war. The rate for suicides which
has remained at about the same level for the past four years showed a slight increase,
480 were recorded as compared with 461 in 1955.
The death rate of children under one year decreased from 23.2 per 1,000 live births
in 1955 to 21.3 per 1,000 live births in 1956, the rate in the first four weeks of life was
16.0. The infant mortality rate for illegitimate infants was 25 per 1,000 illegitimate births.
Weather
The weather experienced during the year is summarised in a table at page 240.
The summer was notably deficient in sunshine and heavy rain was experienced.
Infectious
diseases
There were 11 confirmed notifications of diphtheria during 1956. Two deaths were
registered, but only one resulted from illness contracted during the year. The child
concerned, aged four years, had never been immunised, although immunisation had
been offered.
There were 5,450 notifications of whooping cough with five deaths. Notifications
were considerably higher than in the previous year but the number of deaths was rather
lower. Scarlet fever notifications (2,198) although higher than in 1955 was the second
lowest figure recorded for this disease. 1956 was not an epidemic year for measles,
9,651 notifications with two deaths (one a woman over 70 years of age) were recorded.
The number of deaths (20) from enteritis and diarrhoea in children under two years
was again less and lower than in 1955. Deaths from influenza (120) were lower than
the previous year (164). Notifications of poliomyelitis were fewer than in 1955, about
one-third of the cases notified being paralytic as against nearly one-half in the previous
year. The pattern of incidence in the age groups 0-5 years, 5-14 years and 15 years and
over, whilst broadly similar to that of the previous year, showed a reduction in the 0-4
years age group with an increase in the 15 years and over age group.
The highest incidence of dysentery was recorded since the disease became notifiable
in 1919 (6,392 notifications as against 3,019) with a marked increase in the proportion of
notifications falling in the 5-14 year age group.
Tuberculosis
In 1956 there were 455 deaths from all forms of tuberculosis as compared with 561
in the previous year and 3,929 new cases were notified as compared with 4,122.
Scientific
branch
The work of this branch is summarised at page 44, whilst a fuller report is published
separately.* The long term investigation of the major pollutants of the air has continued.
Air pollution
An account of a survey of the effect of atmospheric pollution upon health appears as
Appendix B at page 186.
Building
programme
Building has continued to be limited by the need for economy but a number of works
has been completed and put in hand during the year.
* Annual Report of the Scientific Adviser, 1956, Staples Press, Ltd., London.
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