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It will be seen that heart disease, as in the last eight years, heads the list; 509 deaths were
due to this cause compared with 470 during 1936. Sex distribution of these deaths was 235 males
and 274 females. Of the total, no less than 454 occurred in persons over the age of 55 years.
Cancer came next, as in the last four years, with 241 deaths, a decrease of 9 on the previous
year; 179 were in persons over 55.
Pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases together caused 186 deaths. The age
distribution is less marked in these deaths, deaths taking place in every age group though with a
preponderance in the groups aged 45 and over.
Tuberculosis caused 118 deaths, of which 108 (63 males and 45 females) were from pulmonary
tuberculosis. The death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis is 0.78 as compared with the national rate
of 0.58. The prevention of this disease depends in the main upon good nutrition and good environmental
conditions, the cure upon early diagnosis. The steady year by year fall in mortality from this
cause is one of the most satisfactory achievements of public health and social work.
Cerebral hæmorrhage is again a disease of the elderly, only 6 of the 93 deaths occurring under
the age of 55.
Influenza caused 69 deaths compared with 16 in 1936; 10 of the deaths being in persons
under 45 years of age.
INFANTILE MORTALITY
Of the 1817 deaths of persons of all ages belonging to the Borough, 109 or 5.99 per cent.,
occurred in infants under one year of age, compared with 136 or 7.61 per cent. in the previous year.
The Infantile Mortality Rate (the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000
live births) was 56, as compared with 64 during 1936.
The Infantile Mortality Rate for England and Wales was 58, and for London 60.

The following table shows the births, infantile mortality and death rates during the last two
years for the various wards in the Borough.