London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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44
Causes of Death.
The chief causes of death during 1932 were:—Organic heart
disease, 469 deaths, death-rate 1.98; Cancer, 341 deaths, deathrate
1.44; All forms of Tuberculosis, 166 deaths, death-rate 0.70;
Pneumonia (including influenzal pneumonia), 288 deaths, deathrate
1.19; Arterio-sclerosis and Cerebral Haemorrhage, 271 deaths,
death-rate 1.14.
Taking diseases of bodily systems and group diseases to which deaths was definitely assigned we find:—
| per 1,000 population. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Circulatory System (including Atheroma and Cerebral Hæmorrhage) | 760 | or 3.21 |
| Cancer | 341 | 1.44 |
| Respiratory System (not Tubercular) | 398 | 1.68 |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | 166 | 0.70 |
| Infectious Diseases (excluding Tuberculosis but including Influenza) | 85 | 0.36 |
| Diseases of the Nervous System (not Tubercular) | 81 | 0.35 |
| Diseases of the Digestive System (excluding Cancer and Tuberculosis) | 146 | 0.61 |
| Diseases of Renal System | 119 | 0.50 |
| Suicides and Violent Deaths | 118 | 0.50 |
| Congenital Debility and Prematurity | 75 | 0.31 |
| Old Age | 115 | 0.48 |
The greatest single group of causes of death as in 1931 was
diseases of the Circulatory system, and of this group Organic Heart
Disease was the most prominent member (469 deaths). Rheumatism
in childhood is indubitably a cause of cardiac breakdown later
on in life, more particularly if the original attack of rheumatism
has been overlooked or disregarded.
Arterio-sclerosis (113 deaths) is the second big cause of death in
this group. This is a thickening, and diminution in the elasticity,
of the walls of the arteries and is an expression either of prolonged
stress or unwise living. Cerebral Haemorrhage, which caused,
incidentally, 158 deaths, is one of the sequelae of Arterio-sclerosis,
combined with excessive blood pressure. Arterio-sclerosis and
Cerebral Haemorrhage between them caused 271 deaths.
Influenza was the most fatal infectious disease; the majority
of deaths occurring over 65 years of age. Whooping Cough came
second. All the deaths being in children under 12 years of age.