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years, for example in 1946 it was 18.63. The rate has shown a tendency
to rise over the last few years, having increased steadily from the lowest
rate recorded since the war 10.74 in 1952.
The stillbirth rate per 1,000 total births is 8.85 compared with 10.95
in 1960 and 18.70 for England and Wales. This shows a considerable improvement
as compared with the stillbirth rate recorded for the year 1937
which was 38.93. Undoubtedly this reflects great credit upon the maternity
and child welfare services.
The death rate from all causes per 1,000 population is 10.31 compared
with 10.95 in 1960 and 12.00 for England and Wales. Of the 350 deaths,
diseases of the heart accounted for 114 (32.57 per cent of total deaths),
cancer 87 (24.86 per cent of total deaths), and tuberculosis 3 (0.86 per
cent of total deaths). The death rate from all causes has not shown much
variation over the 25 year period as it was 10.00 in 1937.
As already mentioned, there were 114 deaths from heart disease and
that other diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 19 deaths, while
vascular lesions of the nervous system (stroke) accounted for 42 deaths,
making a total of 175 deaths. Over the years one of the principal causes
of death in this district has been heart disease and other vascular diseases.
In 1937 the number of deaths from heart disease was 69, from other
circulatory diseases 18, giving rates of 22.55 and 5.88 respectively.
In 1937 there were 71 deaths from cancer giving a rate per cent of total
deaths of 23.20. The number of deaths in 1961 from cancer of all kinds
was 87, giving a rate of 24.86; deaths from lung cancer accounting for 24
cases. It has been now firmly established that cigarette smoking bears a
very direct relationship to the number of deaths from cancer of the lungs.
In America it has been shown that cigarette smoking, in addition to
causing deaths from lung cancer, is largely a contributory factor in that
country to deaths from coronary thrombosis and heart disease generally.
The whole review, however, of this matter belongs to the year 1962, when
the Royal College of Physicians published their comprehensive report
"Smoking and Health".
A disease, which through the years has been responsible for many
deaths is tuberculosis, in particular tuberculosis of the lungs. In
1937 there were 12 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, giving a rate per
cent of total deaths of 3.92. In 1961 only 3 deaths were attributed to this
cause, giving a rate of 0.86. Tuberculosis is now a rapidly declining disease
in this country, the result of a vigorous campaign to recognise cases early
and the introduction of new drugs capable of curing the disease. Chest
Physicians generally are hopeful that in the next two or three decades it
may be possible practically to eliminate the disease.
No mothers died in childbirth during 1961 and this gives a maternal
mortality rate per 1,000 total births of nil, as compared with 0.33 for
England and Wales. In 1937 two deaths occurred in women from puerperal
causes, giving a rate per 1,000 births of 4.87. This again, shows considerable
improvement as, for some years, no deaths in this district have been
attributed to puerperal causes.
The deaths in infants under one year are higher than we have recorded
for some years. The infantile mortality rate shows an increase at 20.09
per 1,000 live births, compared with 16.95 in 1960. Nine infants died
under the age of 1 year in 1961 out of 448 live births. The table on page 18
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