The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-06-06
FLOR the VIRGINIAN ]
MORTALITY IN THE SOUTH.

1t is ALMOST universally believed abroad
and generally conceded at home that the
Southern States are naturally more unheal.
thy and that disease and the rate OF mortal
ity is greater there than in the Northern
portion OF the Union. Before the war,
Northern Life Insurance Companies were
always chary of Southern risks. Since that
epoch, i'll spite OF a somewhat vigorous at
tempt to extend their field southwark. they
have generally withdrawn their southern
agencies, and most Of them prohibit their
policy holders from entering certain South
ern States or going southwark OF q certain
line during the summer season. Wealthy
southerners have been in the habit ofspend
ing the heated term at Northern watering
places anu most people unconsciously asso-
ciate miasma, fever, yenomous reptiles, and
excessive heat with southern latitudes.
Intelligent travellers can scarcely fail to
observe many things to cause them to recon-
slider and reject the ideas generally enter
tanned on this subject, but after all, accurate
statistics only can decide the question. These
are difficult to obtain, yet we think there
are abundant reasons for believing, not only
that the South, as a whole, will favorably COM
pare in salubri:y with the Northern States, but
that, leaving out mparatively very small
territory of swamp and bayou, it is as
healthy section as can be found in the
Union. Sanitary science and vital statis-
tics have never received the same attention
in the South as in the North and the data
for their consideration is therefore much
more limited. In very few Southern States
| do the laws require proper registration OF
| births and deaths, and in those few the pro-
visions of law are too frequently disregard
ed. Even in the larger cities the greatest
laxity prevails and tends to narrow the field
of available inquiry, while rnedica
writers do not seem to have given the suDjec
the attention it deserves. r
The most valuable monograph that the
writer has seen on the subject, is a pape
read by DR.. Frank H. Orme, OF Atlanta, be
| fore the American Institute Of HumeOpath.
at its annual meeting in 1876, but was con
fined to 'sThe climatology Of the South At
antic Stat es in Its relation to Life Insu-
rance while others Of still more Local
character have appeared in Memphis ant
| Mobile. The ninth census of the United
States and Gen'l Walkers Statistical Alta
of the United States afford the most com
prehensive survey Of the whole field, ant
are characterized by vastly greater degree
of accuracy and judgment than are fount
| in any previous government publication
DR.. Orme's paper is not before us, but W
think that the figures Of the census OF 1877
will suffice for our purpose.
Considering the general subject OF NOR
tally from all causes, we find the percen
tage in the fifteen Southern States to
1923, while that Of the whole United States
including the Territories, (where the popu
| lation consists chiefly OF active, vgorotl
men, and infantile diseases scarcely exis
for want of subjects) is 1.2s. But thre
Southern States had percentage of morta
iity exceeding the national average :-Louis
la M 2, Missouri 163, and Texas l.37.
West Virginia the percentage OF mortalit
was but 81, while in North Carolina it wa
only .9s, in South Carolina LOS, Alabau
| los, Kentucky l.o9. Mississippi Ill, Te'
nesse. .13, Georgia .15, Florida 1.2l, Mar
land and Virginia 1.24, and in Arkans'
1926.
The most powerful death agent in Il
United States is consumption. which de
troyeGl 1sl out of every 100000 persons
the Union. This dire disease is almost col
fined to the Northern States, Gen. Walker
map showing broad band Of heavy col
stretching from Maine far westward, d
!. ping southwark into Maryland, Kentucl
, and Tennessee, with patch in unfortuna
/ Louisiana. These States only had grea
er than the average proportion OF dealt
from this cause, the number in kentucl
and Tennessee being 1S9, in Louisiana L
and in Maryland 215 out of each 100000 /
the population. In Virginia there were II
: West Virginia 16l, Missouri los, North Ca