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The most noteworthy features of the mortality statistics for
1937 were the increased number of deaths from influenza and
suicide and other forms of violence, and a welcome decrease in the
tuberculosis mortality rate. The increases in the deaths from
cancer and heart disease are of no special epidemiological significance,
mostly occurring as they did among members of the oldest
age group. The increase in the deaths from puerperal causes, and
the decrease in the case of diphtheria represent variations in such
small totals that any conclusions which might be drawn from them
would almost certainly be erroneous. The increased influenza death
rate was, of course, due to the epidemic which continued well into
1937. With regard to the alarming increase in the deaths from
suicide and other forms of violence, the remarks which I made in
several previous reports carry still more significance. This increase
is a tragic index of our so-called modern civilisation. The remedy
is difficult to find, particularly by a Public Health Authority, but
the matter is rapidly becoming one of first-class national importance.
The principle causes of death are shown in Table I on page 13.
Table II, on page 14, sets out the distribution of the deaths
which occurred during the year according to age groups and sex.
From this it will be seen that the age group showing the highest
percentage of deaths was the 65 years and over group, with 58.80.
Next came the group 45-65 years with 26.95 per cent., after which
there was a marked fall to 7.68 per cent. in the age group 25-45.
It will also be noted that the age groups containing those
individuals from birth to 45 years totalled only 14.25 per cent. of
the aggregate deaths.
It is somewhat of a coincidence that the distribution of deaths
for the year 1937 was almost exactly similar to that for 1936. One
would expect considerable similarity in a population such as
Southgate's, but to find almost parallel figures is remarkable.
Infantile Mortality.—There were 28 (1 illegitimate) deaths of
infants under 1 year of age, which give an infantile death-rate of
42.55 per 1,000 births registered, as compared with 28 deaths and
& rate of 43.41 in the preceding year.
The rate for England and Wales for 1937 was 58.
It will be seen that the infant mortality rate once again fell
slightly during the year, and that it is still well below that for
England and Wales.
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