London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Carshalton 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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Approximately half of all deaths were due to disease of the heart and
circulatory system. In so far as these were the result of the inevitable
degenerative changes of old age, it is not an unfavourable feature but of
recent years an increasing proportion are dying of coronary disease of the
heart particularly men of whom this disease last year killed more than twice
the number it did of women. Moreover the average age of death from this
cause was 65 years among males as against 72 years in females. This
reflects in some degree the increasing stress of modern life.
Tuberculosis mortality was again low though higher than in the year
The death rates from this cause for the last twenty years were as follows:—
| Year | Deaths from Tuberculosis | Death Rate per 1,000 Population | Year | Deaths from Tuberculosis | Death Rate per 1,000 Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 37 | 0.63 | 1947 | 25 | 0.40 |
| 1938 | 37 | 0.63 | 1948 | 25 | 0.40 |
| 1939 | 46 | 0.77 | 1949 | 22 | 0.35 |
| 1940 | 33 | 0.56 | 1950 | 13 | 0.20 |
| 1941 | 40 | 0.71 | 1951 | 21 | 0.34 |
| 1942 | 26 | 0.46 | 1952 | 15 | 0.24 |
| 1943 | 46 | 0.81 | 1953 | 13 | 0.21 |
| 1944 | 33 | 0.63 | 1954 | 14 | 0.22 |
| 1945 | 28 | 0.51 | 1955 | 3 | 0.04 |
| 1946 | 25 | 0.41 | 1956 | 8 | 0.13 |
The distribution of tuberculosis mortality by wards and other details
are given in Section F of this report.
As in the year before only one death resulted from the notifiable
infectious diseases—from poliomyelitis.
Violent causes accounted for the deaths of twenty-five residents,
they were:—
Road traffic accidents 10
Accidents in the Home 4
Drowning 2
Railway Accident 1
Air accident 1
Suicide 6
Homicide 1
Inquests
Inquests were held on 54 persons who died in the district. The following
verdicts were returned:—
Accidental Death 32
Suicide 7
Misadventure 10
Natural causes 3
Open Verdict 1
Homicide 1
Seventeen of the total were residents of the district. Thirteen were due
to road accidents.
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