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deaths
The net number of deaths accredited to the district was 604,
31 more than in 1958.
This gives a crude death rate of 12.4 per 1,000 of the population
and a corrected death rate of 11.9.
Prom the table which sets out the causes of death for 1959
(page 39), it will once again be seen that diseases of the heart
and circulation made up by far the greatest single cause of death.
This is in keeping with the national situation, and is a most
disturbing feature of modern life. The causes of coronary occlusion
the disease with which we are particularly concerned are complex
and not yet fully understood. It was formerly thought that
the stresses and strains associated with life today was the main
factor. Nowadays, although this factor is still believed to play
a significant part, the role of essential fatty acids in producing
atherometa or plaques in the tiny coronary arteries which
feed the heart, are also considered to have great significance.
Much work is being done in this field in order to establish more
clearly the precise causes of coronary diseases and the steps
which can be taken to reduce the apalling loss of life which
occurs in middle and late middle age, especially among males.
Once again, deaths from cancer of the lung and cancer of the
bronchus are still very high, another fact which gives rise to
much anxiety. So much has been said and written on this subject
that it would appear unnecessary to dwell on the factors which
may be contributing to this unhappy rise. One certainly cannot
say that there are any specific factors existing in Wood Green
which encourage coronary thrombosis or lung cancer. But as I said
in. my Report for 1958, it is quite clear that health education
has an important part to play in providing advice and guidance
which will help to reduce the two most serious types of fatality
which our generation has to face.
inquests
Thirty-two inquests were held following the deaths of Wood
Green residents during 1959. A further 165 post mortem examinations
were carried out without an inquest, 75 of these in the
Prince of Wales Hospital which, by arrangement with the Wood Green
Borough Council, provides mortuary services.
maternal mortality
One maternal death was reported during 1959. As mentioned
in the introduction to this Report, this death was due to selfinduced
abortion.
infant mortality
There were 14 deaths of infants under one year of age,which
gives an infant death rate of 20 5 per 1, 000 live births as
11