View report page

24
Comparisons With 1933.
(i) Measles was again prevalent during the first half of the
year and once again all the deaths occurred in children under 15
years of age. (ii) Whooping Cough was more prevalent and
caused 18 deaths, as compared with 3 the previous year, (iii)
Deaths from Diphtheria showed a further increase, from 17
in 1933 to 24 during the year under review, (iv) Influenza, on
the other hand, caused death in only 28 cases, as compared with
103 the previous year, the majority of these deaths were in persons
over 55 years of age. (v) Deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis
showed a slight decline; the age group 15 years to 45 years
accounted for 91 of the deaths. It is interesting to note that deaths
from this condition occur earlier in women than in men, though
more men die from it. (vi) Deaths from Cancer remained much
the same but with Cancer, more deaths occurred in women than
in men. (vii) The main cause of death was Organic Disease of the
Heart, (viii) Deaths from respiratory troubles, e.g., Pneumonia
and Bronchitis, declined, a result probably of the very small incidence
of Influenza, (ix) A further decrease in the deaths attributed
to Infantile Diarrhoea. This is satisfactory in view of the
hot and abnormally dry summer, (x) Deaths from diseases of the
Urinary system remained much the same, (xi) The number of
suicides increased by 7, whilst the number of deaths due to violence
increased by 16. Suicide and violence accounted for 128 deaths,
i.e., nearly as many as those caused by Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
Comments on Table III.
(i) Cancer is the main cause of death between the ages of 45
and 65 years. Above 65 years of age the chief cause of death is
Organic Heart Disease (431) and this is followed by dancer (184),
Cerebral Hæmorrhage (150), and Pneumonia (77). Pneumonia,
as in previous years showed its maxima at the two extremes of life.
The most dangerous time of life up to the 45th year, is the
first year. Violent death, as might be expected, occurred most
frequently among old people over 65 years, though the age group
15.24 years came next in incidence. Suidide was commonest
between the ages of 45 and 65, and was equally divided among the
sexes.
There are some points of difference between Table III. and
the short list of causes of death supplied by the Registrar.General.