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fatality again followed a normal labour, the patient developing puerperal
toxaemia. The remaining fatality was due to post-partum eclampsia,
developing in a patient who had normal ante-natal findings and who had a
normal delivery.
Deaths from Accidents.
There were 45 deaths (27 male and 18 female) from violent causes
during the year. Of these 18 (14 male and 4 female) were the result of
road traffic accidents.
Falls of the elderly accounted for 8 (2 male and 6 female). Many of
these were the result of a fall or a trip which caused a broken leg, death
resulting from the subsequent hypostatic pneumonia.
Deaths from Suicide.
Nine men and twelve women committed suicide. Four of the men
and six of the women chose poisoning by coal gas. One man and six
women took other poisons. The incidence was fairly even throughout
the year.
Deaths from Cancer.
Out of 1,999 local deaths, 422 (202 male and 220 female) were due
to cancer or other malignant disease, a percentage of 21. Diseases of
the respiratory organs were commonest amongst males (59); the next
most frequent site being the stomach (35). Amongst females the commonest
site was the breast (48).
Death from Infectious Diseases.
The number of deaths in the district from the various infections
compared favourably with the rates for the country as a whole; the
rate per 1,000 population for tuberculosis was 0.18 and influenza 0.03,
being below the corresponding national rates of 0.36 and 0.10.