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DEATHS FROM RESPIRATORY DISEASES.
This group of diseases covers diseases of the nasal passages,
diseases of the larynx, bronchitis, all forms of pneumonia, pleurisy
(including empyema), asthma, congestion and emphysema of the
lungs. For practically the whole of the period covered by the
table it refers to those diseases at present included in Nos. 104
to 114 inclusive of the International List—or their equivalent.
During the year 1937 the number of deaths from this group
of diseases was 444, of which 253 were of males and 191 ol
females. This number was a considerable increase on the figure
for the previous year, and was the highest since 1933. The rate
per 1,000 living was .1.71, which was the highest rate since 1931.
Of all the respiratory deaths registered, 410, or 92.3 per
cent., were allocated to the bronchitis and pneumonia group.
Pneumonia constituted the highest single cause of mortality in
this group. Of the 250 deaths from pneumonia, 146 (58.4 per
cent.) were of males, and 104 (41.6 per cent.) of females. In
infants the excess male mortality was very great; under the age
of one year 33 male infants died from pneumonia compared with
18 female infants at a similar age. Broncho-pneumonia was
responsible for a much larger number of deaths than lobar pneumonia,
the deaths from the former condition being 117 males and
90 females, and for the latter condition 22 males and 9 females.
Even when allowance is made for the high frequency of bronchopneumonia
in children by excluding deaths of persons under the
age of 25 years, it is found that of the pneumonia deaths which
could be classified definitely to one or other of these two types,
broncho-pneumonia constituted 123 (69 males and 54 females)
of the 150 deaths, and lobar pneumonia only 27 deaths (19 males
and 8 females).
Bronchitis caused the death of 160 persons (84 males and
76 females). Of these the type of bronchitis was not clearly
defined in 60 cases. Of the remaining 100 persons, acute bronchitis
was responsible for the deaths of 73 (37 males and 36
females), and chronic bronchitis for the deaths of 27 (19 males
and 8 females). In infancy acute bronchitis caused 4 deaths, and
bronchitis of an ill-defined type 8 deaths. Of the remaining
bronchitis deaths, 94.6 per cent. were over the age of 55 years.
Of the 46 deaths which were allocated to other causes, 20
fell within the group of congestive diseases such as hypostatic
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