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Deaths registered in 1960 numbered 1,090 (15.65 per 1,000) compared with 1,141 (16.20 per 1,000)
in 1959. The rate of 15.65 when standardised by the comparability factor gives a figure of 11.58 ;
the standardised rates for the County of London and for England and Wales were 11.4 and 11.5
respectively.
The principal causes of death were diseases of the heart and circulatory system, which accounted
for 38 per cent. of the total; malignant diseases, 21 per cent. ; and respiratory diseases, including
tuberculosis, 11 per cent. Deaths from lung cancer, compared with the previous year, fell from 63
to 48. Seventy-two per cent. of the deaths registered were of persons aged 65 and over, whilst twentytwo
per cent. were between 45 and 65 years.
Accidental Deaths.
During the year, 24 residents died from accidents of all kinds; this was the same total as last year.
Motor vehicle accidents accounted for eight deaths as compared with six in 1959.
Home and Road Accidents.
The London Ambulance Service reports that 186 home accident cases requiring removal to
hospital occurred in the Borough during the year. More deaths are stated to result from accidents
in the home than from road accidents. Every effort should be made to make people realise this
and they must be urged to take the simple and practical precautions in their homes which, together
with the avoidance of carelessness, would reduce so heavy a toll of life and unnecessary suffering.
Again, local road accident figures show an increase on the previous year (978), there having been
1,054 such accidents in the Borough, resulting in 10 (11) deaths, 149 (131) serious injuries and 1,174
(1,045) slight injuries. The figures in brackets relate to 1959 and a summary of the accidents in 1960
is given in Table 4, page 32.
Births.
The total of live births registered during the year was 741 (381 males : 360 females) giving a live
birth rate of 10.64 per 1,000 of population, equivalent to a standardised rate of 8.30 compared with
18.0 for the County of London and 17.1 for England and Wales.
Illegitimate live births numbered 88 (43 males : 45 females), representing 11.88 per cent. of the
total live births.
Still-births totalled 6, representing a rate of 8.10 per 1,000 total births.
Infant Mortality.
Deaths of infants under one year totalled 20 (17 legitimate: 3 illegitimate) giving a rate of 26.99
per 1,000 live births as compared with 14.67 in 1959. The rate for England and Wales is 21.7 per
1,000.
Details showing causes of death according to age group and sex are given in Table 2, page 30.
Of the 20 infant deaths 18 were under four weeks old, giving a neo-natal mortality rate of 24.29
per 1,000 live births as compared with 10.26 in 1959. The neo-natal mortality rate for England and
Wales is 15.56. Although the figures for 1960 are higher than for the previous year the latter were
the lowest on record.
Maternal Mortality.
No maternal death was reported during the year.
Population.
The Census 1961 Preliminary Report gives the total population as 68,834 (males : 29,360 ; females :
39,474) while the 1951 Census showed a total of 75,821 (males : 31,649 ; females : 44,172). During
the period 1951-1961 the population has decreased by 6,987 (males : 2,289 ; females : 4,698), a
percentage decrease of 9.2 compared with one of 4.6 in the County of London, and an increase of 5.3
in England and Wales. Of the twenty-eight Metropolitan Boroughs, 24 showed population decreases
ranging from 1.0 to 19.4 per cent. and four showed increases ranging from 1.6 to 6.4 per cent.
Weather.
The following summary of the weather during 1960, and Table 3, page 31, are based upon
information supplied by the Meteorological Office:—