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Bronchitis and pneumonia
The mortality from these two diseases for males and for females (all ages) for the last
ten years is shown separately in the graphs on page 10. From the graphs three things are
apparent—first that male mortality exceeds female for both diseases; secondly that in
general the pattern of fluctuations in mortality over the decade is common to both sexes;
and thirdly the major difference between the mortality of the sexes and the major contributor
to this mortality group is the high male death rate from bronchitis. Bronchitis
will, therefore, be dealt with in somewhat greater detail in later paragraphs.
Mortality is, however, only the terminal event and bears no general relationship to the
incidence or prevalence of pneumonia and bronchitis. Sufferers from pneumonia will
either recover or die in a comparatively short space of time; persons suffering from
bronchitis on the other hand will rarely be completely cured and may have the disease
for many years with varying degrees of ill health.
Pneumonia—As far as pneumonia is concerned the fairly consistent slight male excess
in the death rate is due largely to a greater sex differential in middle age (45.64) as is common
also in heart disease. Table (vii) shows the average annual number of deaths and death
rates over the decade reviewed. In total the number of deaths is slightly greater for females
but this is offset by their greater numbers particularly for 65 onwards—between ages
45 and 64 the male rate is more than double that of the female.

* Excluding pneumonia of the new born (under 4 weeks).
Bronchitis—The male excess shown in the graph is not peculiar to London; there is a
similar difference in the figures for England and Wales. Male death rates from bronchitis
for both London and the country as a whole are double the corresponding rates for females.
The following table shows the average annual number of deaths and average annual
death rates from bronchitis for the decade, together with the male/female ratio for death
rates: