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11
CAUSES OF DEATH.
These are fully enumerated in table IV.
The four diseases which caused the greatest
number of deaths were:—Cancer, Pulmonary
Tuberculosis, Heart Disease, and Pneumonia.
CANCER.
An unusually large number of deaths has been
caused by this disease during the year, shewing a
mortality much above the average (13) for the past
ten years. Twenty-three cases were recorded,
giving a percentage of 13.1 of the deaths from
all causes, and a rate of l.26 per 1000 of the population.
This year the cases were fairly evenly distributed
between the four wards; it will be
remembered that in last year's report I drew
attention to the fact that for two years the bulk of
of cancer cases occurred in one of the smaller wards.
It must not be assumed that cancer is on
the increase in the district: as a matter of fact,
in all probability, the disease is not on the increase,
either in this or in any other district in the country :
that more cases are heard of at the present time
than were formerly may be admitted, but the reason
for this is more likely to be more accurate diagnoses
than an increase in the case rate.
Upon referring to table 4 it will be seen that
thirteen of the 23 deaths were of persons of upwards
of 65 years of age: of these 13, five were of ages
varying from 70 to 73 years, and five of ages varying
from 78 to 80.
HEART DISEASE.
Thirteen deaths were recorded under this
heading, six of them being in persons upwards of
65 years of age.