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The myocardial group constituted 70.9 per cent. of all
deaths due to heart disease. The sex distribution was fairly equal,
264 deaths occurring in males and 294 in females. No less than
167 of the total myocardial deaths were allocated to the group
which covers myocarditis of an ill-defined nature (93.c.).
The greater part of the myocardial group was constituted
by 299 deaths from myocardial degeneration (93.b.3). Of these
deaths, 134 were of males and 165 of females. Of all myocardial
deaths 433, or 77.6 per cent. occurred in persons over the age of
65 years.
Of the 124 deaths from chronic endocarditis, or valvular
disease, 60 occurred in males and 64 in females.
A large proportion—99 deaths—of these were allocated
definitely to one or other of the valves of the heart. Of these 99
cases 26—20 males and 6 females—were due to aortic disease;
66—26 males and 40 females—were due to disease of the mitral
valve; and 7 deaths—5 males and 2 females—were due to disease
of both these valves. The earliest record of valvular disease during
1937 was one death from mitral disease in a female between the
ages of 5 and 10 years. Twenty-nine of the 60 male deaths from
myocarditis of all forms occurred over the age of 65 years; andy
of the corresponding 64 female deaths, 28 occurred above this
age.
Diseases of the coronary arteries constituted 41 deaths, of
which 30 were of males and 11 of females. Among the males, 27
of the deaths were of persons over the age of 55 years, and among
the females all except one of the 11 deaths were of persons over
this age.
Two deaths were certified as due to pericarditis during' the
year. One of these persons was a male between the age of 20
and 25 years, and the other was a female between the age of 45
and 55 years.
Of all deaths from heart diseases, 553, or 70.3 per cent.,
occurred in persons over 65 years of age.
The mortality from heart disease since 1891 is given in
Table XXXII. It will be seen from this table that the local death
rate from these conditions rose irregularly up to the decade 19211925,
since when there has been a substantial and progressive
increase. It is doubtful whether deaths from heart disease are
really more frequent than they were previously. A part at least
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