Annual report / City of Calgary, Department of Public Health.

  • Calgary (Alta.). Health Department
Date:
[1940]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report / City of Calgary, Department of Public Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/68 (page 3)
    consideration of mortality tables must have regard to gross figures, owing to the fact it is impossible to separate City and country deaths. The gross number of deaths in the City during theyear was 885 and the corresponding gross death rate 10.3 The gross number and rate show an increase of 27 in number and 0.2 in rate over 1939. The first six causes of death were as follows: Diseases of the heart, arteries, kidneys, including apoplexy 320 Cancer - all forms ^ 152 Violent and accidental deaths 48 Pneumonia 33 Influenza ]_5 Diabetes 3 576 Deaths from the above six 65% of the total causes account for approximately gross deaths, a similar picture to what obtained in the year 1939. The similarity of figures stresses the fact that it is in the reduction of the number of deaths from one or all of the above six causes that improvement in the mortality rate can be looked for. The reduction of 27 from the year 1939. Any decrease under this classifi¬ cation is encouraging although there is no doubt it will be some years before preventive measures designed to bring about reduction under this heading will be manifest. It is again pointed out that between 70 and 30% of the deaths in this class had reached the age of 60 years nd over. a CANCER. The number of deaths from all forms of cancer showT an increase of 39 over the number for 1939 when 113 were reported. There were 152 deaths under this classification during 1940. It is not thought that this particular situation brings to light any particular increase in the incidence of cancer. Some ten to fifteen years ago much medical and public interest was stimulated in the subject of cancer, and as a result many early cases were discovered. Some of these cases obtained the maximum of benefit from treatment to the extent that the cancer was completely eradicated. The best majority, however, whilst benefit¬ ing from treatment, in that the life of the patient was prolonged for a few years, reached the end of their borrowed time (from five to ten years has been the experience) and no doubt the increased death rate as herein noted is largely accounted for in this way. VIOLENT AND ACCIDENTAL DEATHS. It is regrettable that deaths from violent and accidental causes occupy so prominent a place in mortality tables and especially so as this classification occupies third place in the first six causes of deaths. Forty-eight deaths from these causes are recorded in Table No.4, showing an increase of 4 over the year 1939. Suicides and homicides account for nine additional deaths not recorded in Table No.4 but appearing in the Abridged International List of Causes of Death. The addition of nine to the forty-eight mentioned shows the corrected figure of 57 deaths from violent and accidental means. Suicide and homicide (homicide including criminal abortion) 9 Railway accidents 7 Accidents associated with machinery 2 Automobile and Motor Cycle accidents 10 Other accidents e.g. Falls (old people) Burns, Accidnetal poisoning 29 57