Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-24
WHAT PEOPLE DIE OF.
Some Interesting Statistics.
New York Snn.d

=
Some Interesting Stasistics.
New York SUM-
How much may be done to prevent disease
End prolong life by attention to public hygiene
Is shown BY the Massachusetts report for last
year of the deaths in that State State whose
vital statistics are gathered and presented with
extraordinary care and fullness. So far ss eli
mate goes, Massachusetts is about an average
Northern State, and therefore the facts obtain
able from the report are of general value and of
interest
i The total number of deaths recorded in
Massachusetts in 1877 was 81, $40, an aggtegate
less by l,S44 than that of 1876. The mortality
was at the rate of 1874 to every thousand of the
living rate less than that of any year since
State was 30 good last year. be-
cause fewer children were born
than in 1876, and the birth rate
was lower than ever before in the history of
Massachusetts, except during 1865. IL Neople
did not manage to live to good age in the old
Bay State, and no foreign immigrants came in
to swell Its population, the census taker would
have poor results to show in the anciena home
of the Puritans. Still, owing to the reduced
mort aity, the births, though small ir NUM-
Der, exceeded the deaths by about 10, n00, The
majority of this natural addition to the popu-
lation, however, was made by foreign-bor pa
rents. Both the births aud marriages are fewer
IN proportion to the Inhabitants than in any o.
the leading countries of Enrone and Ills For
tunate for the State, therefore, that it's average
OF deaths is also less. Against the death rate
of 1874 to every LOCO of the living In Msssa-
chusetts in 1877. the returns for 1876 show the
1 rate of England and Wales to be 81: France
/ 22.7; Prussia, 25.4 and Austria, 1914 in the
1000.
| The health of the State is better, and there
are fewer deaths in proportion to the popula-
ton in the farming counties than in those
more oenseiy popped. Thus the death rate IN
rrahAlin county was only 1915 ana IN berk-
snlTe county only l0.l, while IN Suffolk county,
in which Boston is situated, it was 1871. and in
Essex county, also crowded with peopis, 1t was
! that cities are at present more unfavoreble to
longevity than the country. Young shildren
! die of In them in great mum bers. owing to de-
| fectlve sanitary precautions, and to the igno-
rance and improvidence of parents, and the
idle and vicious elements of the population
tend toward crowded settlements Nearly one
half of the deaths in Massachusetts occurred
in the ten chief cities, and the death rate in
| them was more than per cent. create, than in
the rest of the State.
In Massachusetts,, as also throughout. the
country, the unhealthiest season of the year is
the season of midsummer. Nearly q third of
| the whole number of deaths in the State oc-
1 Cured IN the month. If III, A,,n,,4 - Co.,
/ TENDER The healthiest months were April May
ana June: The fewest deaths took place in
une, and the greatest number in August. Feb
ruary came next to June in it's low mortality,
and September next to August in its high
death rate. Experience shows that orr bitter
est winter cold is not an enemy to health at all
| to be compared with the heat Of the dog-days.
and that December, January, and February
are among the healthiest months in the year
In England, however. the season Of preatest
cold is the season of highest death rates.
The deaths of females in Massachusetts in
1877 exceeded the deaths of males, but this was
due to the unfortunate fact that the number of
females in that state is much greater than that
of males. If, however, we calculate the rate of
deaths der 1000 of the living of tho two sexes.
we find that the mortality was greatest among
the males, the rate being IL 63 of females TO
18.47 of males. Between the ages of % and 30
female lives were more encroached 81 than
male lives, and at ages above 80 and between s
and 70 the mortality among females was in
marked excess. According to universal expe
rience, the deaths of children under wears
were what went most to swell the mortality
total in Massachusetts for 1877. More than a
fifth of all the deaths were those of infants.
more than third of the mortality fell on
young children. But, numerous a. these
deaths were, they were less in proportion than
in any year Of the last decade, and the fact ia
proof of the better sanitary regulation of the
State
The average age at which death occurred was
about 80 years, but if we omit the Young chill
dren it rises to a very much higher figure. and
| one which puts Massachusetts among the
| healthiest communities In the world. Five