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Deaths and Death Rate.
The Death Rate has risen from 10.98 to 11.75, the National
figure for this is 11.6. The principal causes of death were:-
Circulatory Diseases 184
Heart Disease 152
Cancer 112
During the year a new system of classification of causes of
death was brought into use for Doctors and Coroners, the RegistrarGeneral
and Medical Officers of Health dealing with vital
statistics. The system is an international one with much more
detail than in the previous classification.
An interesting immediate result to be observed from the
annual figures after the commencement of this new form of
classification is a change of the principal cause of death in the
statistics of this Borough.
In 1949, the largest number of deaths were classified as
"Heart Disease". In 1950, "the major cause is seen to be
"Circulatory Disease". These two causes are obviously interrelated
showing that a clearer definition of the primary factor of
fatality has altered the proportion of the individual items.
The total number of deaths from heart diseases added to those
from circulatory diseases gives a higher combined total in 1950,
i.e. 336 as compared with 280 in 1949.
There is a drop of 10 in the number of deaths from cancer but
the figure for tuberculosis deaths shows rather a disturbing rise
from 25 in 1949 to 34 in 1950. 32 of these deaths were
respiratory tuberculosis and two non-respiratory.
This rise, following on a dramatic fall during the previous
year, is a serious set-back although the number of tuberculosis
notifications during 1950 was not increased, being 108 as compared
with 110 new notifications in 1949. Page 30 shows in graphic
form the progress of tuberculosis in the Borough since 1930.
The local death rate compares with a national figure of 11.6.
Death Rate of all infants per 1,000 live births 22.37
Death Rate of all legitimate infants per 1,000
legitimate live births 23.5
Death Rate of all illegitimate infants per 1,000
illegitimate live births Nil
Deaths from Measles (all ages Nil
Deaths from Whooping Cough (all ages) Nil
Deaths from Diarrhoea or Gastro-Enteritis (under 2 years) 3
Deaths from Cancer (all ages) 112
Deaths from Tuberculosis (all ages) 34
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