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the death rate for England and Wales for 1955 which was
11.7 per thousand. Cancer of the lung was responsible for
10 deaths and showed a decrease of 6 as compared with 1954.
There has been much controversy over the part played by
smoking in the causation of lung cancer, and it is safe to
say that while statistical evidence does not provide definite
proof that cigarette smoking directly causes cancer of the
lung, the accumulated evidence is such as to denote a cause
and effect relationship. In the circumstances it seems reasonable
to advise young people not to take up smoking and, in
the case of heavy smokers of middle age, to say that published
data indicate that there may be some diminution in
risk to those who give up smoking even after many years
of addiction.
The infant mortality rate for 1955. that is the number
of children dying in the first year of life for every thousand
live births, was 18.3 compared with 10.15 per thousand in
1954. The rate compares favourable with that for England
and Wales, which was 24.9.
The was one maternal death during the year, giving a
maternal mortality rate of 2.25 per thousand live and stillbirths.
In regard to infectious diseases, measles reached epidemic
proportions in 1955, 816 cases being notified. There were
no deaths and, indeed, there has been no death in the Urban
District from this cause for 4 years. There were 3 cases of
poliomyelitis during the year, 2 paralytic and 1 non-paralytic,
but with no deaths. At the time of writing, vaccination against
this disease has, recently, commenced under arrangements
made by the Local Health Authority, and it is hoped that
the development of this technique will bring this disease
under some measure of control. During the year 23 new
cases of tuberculosis were notified compared with 37 in 1954
and 45 in 1953. The number of deaths from this disease
was 2 compared with 4 in 1954 and 11 in 1953. For the
fifth year in succession no case of diphtheria occurred in the
District. A warning that diphtheria could return as a killing
disease is contained in the fact that in certain parts of the
country outbreaks of diphtheria have occurred, recently, resulting
in death of a number of children. Parents should
take heed of this and should not fail to have their children
immunised, as the continued freedom from this disease depends
on the maintenance of a high level of immunisation
among the child population.
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