[Report 1938] / Medical Officer of Health, Edinburgh City.

  • Edinburgh (Scotland). City Council
Date:
1938
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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

    29/272 (page 11)
    ]] Malignant Diseases.—Deaths from malignant diseases during 1938 again showed an increase, being 883 as compared with 854 in the previous year. Males numbered 411 and females 472 and the death-rate from these causes was equal to 188 per 100,000 of the estimated population. Sixty-six per cent, of the deaths were of persons over the age of 60 years. The greatest proportion of the cases related to the alimentary tract, e.g., stomach and oesophagus 228, intestines and rectum 176, liver and gall bladder 44, and pancreas 25. Malignant disease of the female genital organs was the cause of 77 deaths and in 75 instances the female breast was affected. The table on page 12 shows the deaths classified according to age, sex and the organ or region affected. Diseases of the Nervous System.—A further decrease in the number of deaths from nervous diseases was recorded, the total in this group being 685, as compared with 727 in 1937, and 753 in 1936. Cerebral haemorrhage, embolism and thrombosis were the chief causes of death and together accounted for 411 of the total. Seventy-three per cent, of these deaths were of persons over the age of 65 years. General paralysis of the insane and other forms of insanity were responsible for 20 deaths, non-tuberculous meningitis 19, epilepsy 13, and infantile convulsions 11. Diseases of the Circulatory System.—Reference has been made in previous reports to the steady increase in the number of deaths from diseases of the circulatory system, and while the total for the year under review (1,587) shows a decline as compared with 1937 (1,616), it is still well above the average (1,400) for the previous five years. Seventy-one per cent, of the deaths occurred at ages over 65 years. Heart disease (1,404) was the chief cause of death and represented 89 per cent, of the total. Arterio-sclerosis, gangrene and other diseases of the blood vessels were the stated causes of the other 183. These deaths taken collectively were responsible for 27 per cent, of the total deaths from all causes registered in the City during the year. Diseases of the Respiratory System.—The number of deaths (691) from respir- atory diseases (excluding influenza) showed a considerable decline when compared with the previous year (902). The principal causes were pneumonia and bronchitis which together accounted for 593 deaths, including 112 children under 5 years of age, of whom 83 were infants in their first year. The death-rate from pneumonia was 72 per 100,000 of the population, from bronchitis 54 per 100,000, and from other respiratory diseases 21 per 100,000. The combined rate was e qual to 147 per 100,000 and is the lowest recorded within recent years.