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The opportunity is again taken to emphasize that early
medical opinion should be obtained in respect of any persistent
lump, haemorrhage or pain, the relief of a negative finding being
almost as important as an early diagnosis.
VIOLENCE.
Deaths from violence (including suicide) showed a further
slight increase compared with 1950 and 1949, the death rate being
0.45 per thousand of population compared with 0.37 and 0.33 in
the last two years and an average of 0.39 both for the inter-war
years, and for the years since the war.
Deaths on the road increased slightly, five deaths being
attributed to this cause compared with three last year. Two of
these deaths were associated with motor car accidents and three
with motor bicycles.
Most of the remaining 15 accidental deaths were in the elderly,
7 being due to falls in elderly women, 3 of whom were in
mental hospitals, as were 2 in whom death resulted from asphyxia
due to inhalation of the stomach contents.
The number of deaths attributed to suicide, 9, was 2 more
than last year, and slightly above the average for the inter-war
years.
TUBERCULOSIS AND PNEUMONIA.
Deaths from tuberculosis and pneumonia are referred to
in later sections of this report.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
It is pleasing to report that as in 1949, no maternal death
occurred during the year, which compensates for the two deaths
from this cause in 1950.
The maternal mortality rate for England and Wales was
0.79 per 1,000 live and stillbirths, which is the lowest yet recorded.
INFANT MORTALITY.
During 1951, there were 17 deaths among children under one
year of age, as compared with 13 last year, and an average of 21
in the last four years. One of the deaths was in respect of an
illegitimate child.
The resultant infant mortality rate was thus 21.7 per 1,000
registered births, compared with 17.2 in 1950, the latter being
the lowest ever recorded for this District.
The infant mortality rate for England and Wales was the
record of 29.6 in 1951, compared with 29.8 in 1950 which was
the lowest previously recorded.
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