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Incidence of Bronchitis
Deaths from bronchitis were 82 men and 32 women.
It is well known that the incidence of bronchitis in
this country is between twenty and forty times as
great as it is in most continental countries. The reason
for this is not yet clear. A major cause of this
crippling disease, as of lung cancer, is however,
smoking, and the avoidance of this habit is a duty
each individual owes to himself and to his family.
Certainly any smoker who commences to cough
should heed this serious warning and reduce the habit
immediately. Atmospheric pollution and infection are
also implicated in the causation of bronchitis, but it
must be remembered that when one smokes one is
inhaling each time a rough equivalent of pea-soup
fog!
Another factor that may have a bearing on
bronchitis in later life is the British habit of putting
babies outside in prams in all weathers and possibly
improving their complexions at the expense of their
lungs. Adults would never dream of placing their
beds in their front gardens in icy conditions and
sleeping in them! An infant has a far less effective
heat regulating mechanism than an adult, and a more
sensitive respiratory system and lungs. Low temperatures
significantly reduce the ability of the baby's
respiratory tract to deal with both germs and
atmospheric pollution. Hence, possibly in this way,
the seeds of future bronchitis are sown. The thought
is left with you that it may therefore be wiser to place
babies to sleep outside only in clement weather.
Lung Cancer
Deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus were
103 men and 27 women. It is noted that the incidence
was about four times higher in men than in women.
It cannot be said too often that lung cancer is an
eminently preventable disease, and the dominant part
that smoking plays is by now common knowledge.
Heart Disease
Heart disease accounted for 739 (34.7%) of all
deaths. In the present stage of medical knowledge it
may be said that heart attacks may well be reduced in
number if each person balances his work, exercise,
rest and play, takes animal fats and sugar in moderation,
keeps his weight correct for his height, and does
not smoke. Those who have a family history of
coronary disease, or are significantly overweight
could, with advantage, have occasional medical checks
in middle age, even in the absence of symptoms.
Infectious Disease
It is a pleasure to report that there were no outbreaks
of any major infectious disease during the
year, although it should be clearly understood by
every individual that the level of protection a
community enjoys against an outbreak of such disease
is sustained only if an adequate proportion of
responsible parents continue to ensure that their
children are properly immunised. It is regretted that
due to complacency or other unknown factors this
proportion continuously threatens to become so low
as to be a cause for concern.
Venereal Disease
The gradual rise in the attendance and diagnosis of
cases of venereal disease at special hospital clinics is
fairly general throughout the country, but like
illegitimacy, the increase is mainly in persons under
the age of 20 years. There the similarity ends, and a
considerable amount of research will be necessary to
unravel the complex needs of sections of present day
society which lead to the increasing incidence of
deviations such as delinquency, illegitimacy, drug
taking, and venereal disease in the young. Apparently
widely differing types of youngster from widely
differing backgrounds may suffer one or other of the
above troubles and yet be psychologically less likely
to suffer another of these than a youngster who has
never before succumbed. It must be stressed that
although the increasing incidence must be taken
seriously, it is only a very small minority of youngsters
who actually contract venereal disease. For this
minority the years between school leaving age of 15
and early adulthood at 20 years are a sort of 'no
man's' land when they often no longer wish to turn
to their parents or personal family doctor with their
problems and also no longer have a sympathetic
teacher on whom to unload their troubles.
From the preventive point of view the cultivation
of the idea of a healthy mind and body, and of
responsibility at school is necessary, but beyond this
I am afraid we are all still largely ignorant of how to
prevent youngsters exposing themselves to these
serious illnesses which if remaining undiagnosed too
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