[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Taunton Borough.

  • Taunton (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Taunton Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Number of deaths from cancer of lung—England and Wales— 1966 27,025 1967 28,250 1968 28,826 1969 29,768 1970 30,281 Comment on Vital Statistics The estimated population of the Borough remained almost the same as at the end of the previous year. It was expected that a more accurate figure of population would be available as a result of the census due to take place in April 1971. The birth rate for Taunton was lower than that of England and Wales as a whole and the death rate also was below the national figure. The infant mortality rate, often taken as an important index of the state of public health in a community, was 16 per thousand births as against 18 in the country as a whole. Eleven per cent of the live births were illegitimate. As is always the case, diseases of the heart and blood vessels were the most frequent cause of death. These diseases are tending to become even more prominent as more people live to a greater age. In the previous report an account was given of the different conditions of heart and blood vessels which can mainly result in death and it is unnecessary to repeat this. The figure of deaths from cancer of the lung was high at 13, though showing a decline from the figure of 17 in 1969. In England and Wales as a whole, however, the figure for lung cancer deaths for the first time topped the 30,000 mark in 1970. It is good to be able to report that motor accidents were responsible for only 3 deaths as compared with 10 in 1969; but this is still three too many. No deaths from acute infectious diseases were recorded during the year. REGISTRAR GENERALS TABLE OF DEATHS Cause of Death Male Female Total Late effects of respiratory T.B. Syphilis and its sequelae Malignant Neoplasm, Buccal Cavity etc Malignant Neoplasm, Oesophagus Malignant Neoplasm, Stomach .. Malignant Neoplasm, Intestine .. Malignant Neoplasm, Lung, Bronchus Malignant Neoplasm, Breast 1 1 1 1 2 7 4 2 11 13 2 8 1 1 2 2 11 13 15 8