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VI. PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES
Weather Conditions.
The year 1959 was notable for its wonderful sunny summer. The
year started with a sunny January and ten of the twelve months had more
than average sunshine.
January was very sunny but cold with sleet and snow on four days.
There was much frost during the month and the latter end was- foggy.
February was remarkably dry, cold at first and mild later with three
foggy days from the 17th. March and April were mild, with April rather
wet.
May and June were sunny, warm and dry except for occasional
thunderstorms, and July was a lovely month, very hot and sunny. So was
August, rain being confined to a few thunderstorms. The driest September
on record followed with lots of sunshine, and October was exceptionally
sunny and warm at first but cold later. November and December were mild,
but the latter was very wet.
Thus finished a year of unusually fine and sunny weather that more
than made up for the dull wet summers of 1957 and 1958.
Notifications.
A total of 1,998 notifications of cases of infectious diseases were
received during the year, compared with 881 in 1958, the difference being
in the main measles notifications. The diagnosis was not confirmed in
seven of the notifications.
Table 19 on page 73.shows cases notified, together with comparative
figures over the past 10 years. A list of diseases notifiable in the
County of London is shown in Table 20 on page 74-•
Cancer.
Since 1951, the rate of deaths from lung cancer in the Borough has
risen over 55 per cent whilst for cancer as a whole it has risen 9 per
cent.
The number of deaths from cancer of all sites of residents of the
Borough, during the year, was 242, being 21 more than last year.
Deaths from lung cancer numbered 77, which is 15 more than in 1958.
The association between cancer of the lungs and smoking -leaves
little doubt that smoking is a direct cause of lung cancer.
A graph showing comparison between deaths from lung cancer and
deaths from lung tuberculosis, over the past 10 years, will be found
facing this page.
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