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13
Deaths from Accidents.
There were 45 deaths (29 male and 16 female) from violent causes
during the year.
Of these, 22 (17 male and 5 female) were the result of road traffic
accidents. 15 of these occurred elsewhere than in this district. In most
of these a motor vehicle was involved. The victim was in the vehicle in 2
instances, was a cyclist in 9, and a pedestrian in one. There were seven
fatal road accidents in the district. Three of those killed were non-residents.
In every case a motor vehicle was involved in the accident. Four of the
victims were pedestrians, one was the rider of a pedal-cycle, and two
were in the vehicles.
Falls of the elderly accounted for 10 (4 male and 6 female) deaths.
Many of these were the result of a fall or a trip which resulted in a broken
leg, death resulting from the subsequent hypostatic pneumonia. In
many cases the tall occurred at home.
Poisoning by coal gas was responsible for the deaths of 7 (4 male and
3 female). In at least some of the cases it would appear that the death
was accidental. All but one of these persons was over 79 years of age.
Many elderly persons are living at home with only limited attention, so
that accidents of this sort are very liable to occur, as are also those which
caused the death of two persons of over 70 years of age by burns.
Deaths from Suicide.
Ten men and eight women committed suicide. Five of the men and
four of the women chose poisoning by coal gas.
In most years the incidence has been fairly even throughout the
year. In this year, however, ten of the events occurred in the four
months May to August. All but one of the remainder occurred in the
first three months of the year.
The age distribution was unusual. Whereas all the females were
between 40 and 70, only one of the males was of this age, five of the males
being under 40 and three over 70.
Deaths from Cancer.
Of the 2,094 deaths of residents in this district, 389 were due to cancer,
this causing 18 per cent, of the deaths of males and 18 per cent, of females.
Of the 190 deaths from this cause amongst males, in 69 the site
was the lung, and in 29 the stomach. Of the 199 deaths amongst females,
the site was the breast in 55, in 20 the stomach, in 12 the lung, and the
uterus in 17.
Although one type of malignant disease attacks the young, in general
cancer attacks most heavily those of more advanced years, but not the
very old. There is a period when a very large proportion of the deaths is
due to cancer ; but once that stage has passed, cancer as a cause of death
is overshadowed by other factors. Of the males resident in the district
who died last year, malignant disease caused the death of only one under
the age of 35. In the successive ten-year periods, cancer caused the
death of eight out of 38 who died between the ages of 35 to 44 (percentage
21), and 29 out of 102 who died between 45 and 54 (percentage 28).
In the next age group 55 to 64, there was a further rise namely, 61 deaths
out of 186 (percentage 33). This was followed by a fall, 51 out of 244