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Mortality
The total death rate at 11 -9 per 1,000 population, although slightly higher than the previous
year (11-8), was about the average of the last decade. In detail, however, deaths differed in
pattern from the normal. Figure 2 shows the weekly deaths registered in London in 1959
(before correction for residence although this is a fairly constant factor week by week)
together with the average for the previous five years. It will be seen that mortality was much
higher than usual in the early weeks of the year but that this excess was compensated for,
to some extent, by a lower mortality during the remainder of the year. This high mortality
in the first quarter was due to a combination of cold weather in January and an epidemic of
influenza in February and early March, with the attendant respiratory complications of
pneumonia and bronchitis. In the week ended 21st February registered deaths totalled
1,815 (147 from influenza, 259 from pneumonia, 326 from bronchitis), which apart from
the aftermath of the smog in December, 1952, and the war years, was the highest weekly
figure since January, 1937 (the population was 28 per cent, higher in that year).

* Excluding pneumonia of the new born (under 4 weeks) which is included in "Diseases of early infancy'
The ranking order of the leading causes of death remains unchanged from 1958. Heart
disease was discussed in detail in my report for 1956 and cancer in 1958.
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