View report page

24
At the end of the report there is a table giving the age-distribution
of the deaths which occurred. From that table it will be
seen that only 116 persons under 25 years of age died whilst 336
of the deaths were in people over 65 years of age. Nearly one-half
of the deaths—46 per cent.—occur in people over 65 years of age.
In previous reports I have pointed out how the increased age at
death affects the morbidity of certain diseases. Apart from the
diseases which are associated with worn out cells of the body such
as old age with 38 deaths, Cerebral Haemorrhage 43 deaths, thickened
arteries 44 deaths, there has been a great increase in the number
of deaths from other causes such as Heart Disease and Cancer.
Although there is an apparent increase in the number of deaths
from Heart Disease, there is no reason to assume that post infective
heart disease, which may be preventable is on the increase, 103 of
the deaths from heart disease were in persons over 65 years of age,
and it is fair to assume that most of these are due to a degeneration
which is inevitable, and the increase in the number of deaths from
heart disease is due to the altered age distribution of the population.
There was a decrease of 11 in the number of deaths from
Cancer as compared with 1933, but there is an increased tendency of
death from Cancer. In studying the apparently increased incidence
of Cancer, we must also bear in mind the altered age-distribution
of the population, and the relative increase of people living
to an age in which Cancer claims most of its victims.
Only one death was uncertified. This occurred in Glossop.
I have pointed out in different annual reports the attitude of
the public towards the treatment of disease in institutions, and the
increasing number of deaths in Public Institutions. Last year
358 deaths occurred in Public Institutions, and in recent years,
nearly one-half of the deaths have occurred in public institutions.
Thirty years ago less than one-fifth of the deaths occurred in
public institutions. In 1905, 1906 and 1907, the numbers were
118, 119 and 158 respectively.
The increase has been a gradual one, and at no particular
period was there any marked or sudden increase. The increase
though has been most marked in the County Hospitals and in the
local general hospital. Thirty years ago, less than one-half of the
total deaths in public institutions occurred in the old poor law infirmaries.
In 1905 out of 118 total deaths in public institutions
54 occurred in the local infirmary, and out of 119 in 1907, 44 occurred
in Isleworth Infirmary.
In 1932, 1933 and 1934, 179, 195 and 200 deaths respectively
occurred in the Middlesex County Hospitals out of totals