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ANALYSIS OF VITAL STATISTICS
1. The Registrar General's mid-year estimate of population for
1955 is 40,710. This shows a slight decrease on the previous year,
the actual figure being 20. This decrease is so slight that for all practical
purposes it can be ignored.
2. The number of live births during the year is 504 which is 2
higher than the previous year. The birth rate is 13 per thousand
of the population which reflects the increase of 2 and the decrease of
population by giving a rise on 1954 of 0.1.
3. Infantile mortality rate is 21 per thousand live births which
shows an increase of twice that of the previous year. This figure of
21 is, however, comparable to the figure of 1953 and other preceding
years. The figure for 1954 was an exceptionally low figure
which occurs from time to time and seems to have no significance.
The death rate for illegitimate infants for the year is 40 per thousand
illegitimate births. There is a great variation on this figure from year
to year as the figures involved are so small. This statistic as it deals
with such small figures has no practical use. The death rate of the
year to which this report refers is 10.2.
The number of deaths during the year was 390 as compared with
389 on the previous year. This figure keeps very constant from year
to year.
4. The number of deaths from Cancer is 78 which is only 2 more
than the previous year. As may be seen from Table II they are mainly
in the higher age groups, which is normal.
5. There were 20 new cases of Tuberculosis during the year
which is very considerably lower than the number of new cases in
1954. The number of new cases have over the last three years shown
a considerable decrease. It is to be hoped this decrease will continue.
The number of Tuberculosis deaths was 5 which shows a slight
decrease on 1954. There is definitely a decrease on Tuberculosis
deaths over the last few years.
6. Infectious Diseases during the year show an increase of more
than 50 per cent. over the previous year. However, it will be remembered
that in 1954 only 15 cases of Measles were shown. In Table I
lor 1955 494 cases of Measles are shown, which is a more reasonable
figure.
The number of cases of Scarlet Fever are considerably less, whilst
Chicken Pox and Whooping Cough remain practically constant.
The age group from 4.10 as usual contains the greatest number of
cases of Infectious Diseases.
The Sanitary Inspectors have continued with the practice of
visiting all cases of Scarlet Fever, Poliomyelitis and Food Poisoning
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