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macabre details of post-mortem examinations of those, who have died
from cancer of the lung, might produce a sufficient sense of horror to
bring home to the smoker the fate which might be his.
Possibly the best way to tackle the problem is to conduct further
research in an endeavour to extract the carcinogenic factors from tobacco.
Certainly one cannot help but feel that, at a time when the National Health
Service Pharmaceutical Services report an ever-increasing consumption
of sedative and tranquillising drugs, propaganda against smoking is more
likely than not to fall upon many deaf ears.
Deaths from diseases of the heart and circulatory system again, in
1956, continued to account for a very high proportion of total deaths.
There were 54 deaths from coronary disease, 55 from vascular lesions of
the nervous system (cerebral haemorrhage), and 60 from other heart
diseases.
Deaths from all diseases were generally higher amongst the older age
groups, which is accounted for by the large number of people over 65
years of age living in the district.
Four deaths were recorded from motor vehicle accidents, compared
with 3 in 1955. All other accidents accounted for 4 deaths, the same
number as in 1955. Suicides totalled 4 cases, compared with 2 in 1955.
No mothers died in childbirth during 1956, and this gives a maternal
mortality rate per 1,000 total births of nil, as compared with 0.56 for
England and Wales.
The infantile mortality rate shows an increase at 18.82 per 1,000 live
births, as compared with 13.70 in 1955. Only seven infants died under
the age of 1 year in 1956, out of 372 live births. On page 17 will be found
an analysis of the causes of death.
During the year, the care of the aged and geriatric problems generally
occupied a considerable proportion of the time of the department. Home
helps and district nurses were provided for many old people who otherwise
would have had to be admitted to institutional care. The home help
service was particularly pressed during the year, and the number of
equivalent full-time home helps employed reached the highest figure yet
recorded in the district. The work of the W.V.S. was again beyond praise,
and under the able guidance of Mrs. O. L. Wiles, a close liaison continued
to operate to the great advantage of old and necessitous sick alike.
A few old persons, who required institutional care were dealt with by
the geriatric department of St. Helier Hospital, and close co-operation
with the hospital was maintained throughout the year.
The year under review was exceptionally light in the notification of
infectious diseases generally. The table on page 40 sets out the incidence
of the various diseases. The principal reduction was in the number of
cases of measles. The year 1956 was not a measles year, and only 81 cases
were notified, as compared with 659 in 1955. The incidence of scarlet
fever was about average, but that of whooping-cough was quite low, only
25 cases being notified.
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