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the lung, in 37 the stomach. Of the 196 deaths amongst females, the
breast was the site in 37, the stomach in 26, lungs in 16 and the uterus in 21.
The 420 deaths from cancer this year were much the same as the
number (414) of the previous year. The increase was the result of the
larger number of deaths amongst men; this year's deaths amongst women
(196) was smaller than the figure for 1955 (202). In spite of the increase
in the number of deaths of males from cancer, the number due to cancer of
the lung was less than the previous year (64 as against 79), while the
figure for women remained much the same (16 this year as against last
year's 17). Whereas the number of men who died from cancer of the
stomach rose from 33 to 37, there was a fall from 32 to 26 in women.
The improvement in the position with regard to cancer of the breast in
women, 37 as against 43 was more than offset by an increase in the
deaths from cancer of the uterus, this year's figure of 21 contrasting with
10 in 1955.
Although cancer does not cause the deaths of large numbers below
the age of 45, it is nevertheless responsible for a very high proportion of the
deaths that do occur among those of these ages. Of the 99 adults who
died before reaching this age, 26 died of this complaint. Of the 484 who
at the time of death were aged between 45 and 64, cancer caused the death
of 153. It was responsible for 102 of the 499 deaths of those who at the
time of death were between 65 and 74. On the other hand it caused only
101 of the 737 deaths of those who at death were 75 or over.
Deaths from Infectious Diseases
Infections accounted for very few deaths in this district in 1956.
There were no deaths from measles or whooping cough, from poliomyelitis
or meningococcal infections. There were only five from
influenza and only 16 from tuberculosis. There were, of course, no cases
of diphtheria to provide any fatalities, and it is many years now since
scarlet fever became today's mild type with virtually no case mortality.