[Report 1938] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontefract Borough.

Pontefract (England). Borough Council.

Date:: 1938

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1938] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontefract Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Of the 222 deaths, 117 (53 per cent, of total deaths) were of persons of 60 years or over, whilst 20 were of children under 1 year (9 per cent, of total deaths). Female deaths numbered 101, 12 less than were recorded last year ; male deaths decreased from 129 to 121. Heart disease continues to be the principal cause of death in both sexes, 68 certificates attributing death to this condition. 49 of these related to persons of 60 years or over. The total number of deaths from all diseases of the circulatory system was 77, 2 more than in 1937. The considerable decrease in 1937 in deaths due to cancer has not continued throughout the year under review, 25 deaths having occurred. 22 of these were of persons of 60 years or over. Further details are given later in the report. Diseases of the respiratory system accounted for 29 deaths, 5 more than in the previous year. Bronchitis and pneumonia showed slight increases. 11 deaths from diseases of the digestive system were certified, 2 more than in 1937 ; this number includes 2 deaths from appendicitis. Infectious diseases were responsible for 20 deaths, 15 less than last year. This is due to considerable reductions in deaths due to influenza and tuberculosis. Deaths due to infectious diseases are dealt with in detail in a later part of the report. INFANT MORTALITY. The number of deaths of infants under one year of age was 20, 6 less than in 1937. This yields an infant mortality rate of 49 per 1,000 births, as compared with 63 in the previous year. The average rate for the quinquennium 1934-1938 is 55.