[Report 1910] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley R.D.C.

  • Burnley (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1910] / Medical Officer of Health, Burnley R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    DEATHS.-^The total number of deaths of persons belonging to the district, whether they actually died in the district or not, is 258 -Males 135, Females 123, giving an annual death-rate of 12.9 per thousand of the population. The death-rate for the previous year was 14, and the average for the previous ten years is 12.9. The highest death-rate in those years was 15 (1906) and the lowest 11.9 (1900), so that during this year the mortality of the district is satisfactory. There has been no serious epidemic in any part of the district and the health of the inhabitants has l:»een good so far as I have been able to ascertain. Upon referring to 4'able IV. it will be seen that the greatest number of deaths has been, from Bronchitis 25, Pneumonia 24, and Ideart Disease 29, whilst 70 of the deaths have been of persons of 65 years of age and upwards. Inhere has been a marked decrease in the persons dying of Cancer and Malignant diseases—9 this year as against 20 for the previous year. Another satisfactory return is that this year only 11 have died from Phthisis or Pul- monary Tuberculosis as against 16 last year, and 6 of other tuber- culous diseases as against 7 for the year ending 1909. This means that in Phthisis alone there has been a decrease of over 31 per cent, in the deaths. INFANTILE MORTALITY.—Table U.)-—Of the 258 deaths 54 have been of children under one year, as against 42 for the previous year, l^he births for this year are 410, last year 383, so that although we have an increase in births of 27, we have an increase in deaths of 12, which means that the Infantile Mortality this year is 131.7 per thousand births registered as against 109.66 for the previous year, whilst the average rate for the previous ten years is 114.7. I regret to state that this is the highest rate recorded since 1900. Upon reference to the hgures in Table V. it will be seen that of the 54 deaths 23 were of children who died within the first four weeks of life, and of these 23 there were 13 due to premature birth, 3 from congenital defects, and 2 from atrophy or debility, so that 18 out of the 23 were born without any ])robable chance of ])rolonged life ; 33.3 per cent of the 54 who died under one year, or one-third of that number, really died from causes not operative and preventable after birth. Another feature of note, and of congratulation too, is that of the 54 only 4 died of gastric and intestinal diseases sncli as diarrhcca, etc., which are so often due to bad feeding, neglect and dirty conditions ; or if we add the 2 which died ol convulsions—often due to injudicious feeding— then we have only 6 of the 54, or deducting the above-named 18, then 6 out of 36 who may be said to have had a chance of life. This means that this year’s heavy Infantile Mortality is due mainly to causes operative Ijefore the birth of the child, to which