Savannah morning news., 1885-09-11
MALES AND FEMALES, BLACK
AND WHITE.
The Vital Statistics of the Last Cen
aua.

Washington Letter 10 the Mem York sun
The eleventh quarto volume OF census re-
turns for the year 1850 relat ng 70 mortality
and vital statistics is ready. The imper-
fection Of the returns is admitted by the
compiler. The reports made by the emu
merators were supplemented by the
comparatively accurate publications Of
the health officers in certain cities and
by the voluntary statements OF the medi-
cal fraternity throughout the country.
Circulars were sent TO every medical man
whose name and location could be found
recorded, but replies were received from
less than one-third Of them.
From these several sources Of informa-
tiOn the number OF deaths is given at
,j6, ,S93, including white, African descent,
/ Indian, Chinese, and japanese. The an
nual death rate on the aggregate pOpula-
ton. according to the figures, would be 10
IN Loo. The proportion Of deaths among
the white race would be 14.7 in 1000. and
Of the blacks, 17.2S. But the compiler es-
Inmates that as regards the returns from
the country the numDer Of deaths given Is
10 to 30 per cent. too low.
The white male annual death rate is
1875 in 1000, and the death rate Of the fe-
males is l4.St. The excess OF white males
over females Is SSl ,857, in total popula-
tion Of 43. 402 $40.
There was an excess OF deaths of color
ed females 10 males, In the proportion Of
l,Ol1 TO LOCO. The proportion Of males to
females in the population was the reverse
OF what is stated Of tbe whites, the excess
Of females being 1865. The proportion
OF deaths, also, in the two sexes of colored
people Is different, as appears by the fig
ures.
Table Of the introduction contains
the mortality statistics Of thirty-One cities
IN which registration of deaths is Kept.
SIX OF these also discriminate between
the white and colOred population. The
aggregate population of the thirtY-one
cities was 6,603,4 ,4l4. There was an excess
Of females over males amounting to 146,-
$40. The total number Of deaths in twelve
months was l47.l5S, of when I7,225 were
males and 69, 1888 were females. The az
( gregate death rate in 1000 were 22.2S OF
males the death rate was 1892, ana of fe-
males 20.72.
The six cities whose registration re-
ports discriminate between the whites
and blacks are Louisville. Washington,
Richmond, Baltimore, New Orleans and
! Charleston. In each OF these cities the
females outnumber the males. and this is
/ true OF each race; While at TIE same time
/ there Is a remarkable excess OF deaths
]
/ females. But in all the excess Of deaths
among the blacks, as compared with the
/ whites, IS more remarkable. Thus, in
/ Louisville the death rate Of the whites 70
/ 2OOi ia l,0OO per annum; that of the
I blacks is 34.76. In Washington the death
/ rate among the whites is $50, and that
of the blacks 3545. In Richmond the
death rate Of the whites is 1912 in 200;
that of the blacks IS 81 81. In Baltimore
the death rate among the whites is 22.71,
and among the blacks 37.61. In New Or
| leans the death rate among the whites is
Pal, and among the blacks 1851. In
/ Charleston the death rate among the
whites is 23.7S, and among the blacks As.
An examination Of the health reports of
/ New York some months ago showed SINH
/ lar results 10 the above. Table > of the
introduction shows the proportion of
deaths in 100 OF white and colOred chill
dren under year old in thirteen Southern
| states with the District OF Columbia In
Alabama the death rate OF white children
! OF tha age Ia 1.64 IN 100, and Of colOred
I children the death rate is II so. In Ar
! kansas the white children under a year
old die at the rate of 9.9l in 100, and Of
colored children 1926. In Delaware the
/ death rate OF white children is IL 90 iu
100, that Of c0lored l4Si. In the District
/ OF Columbia, whites 1882, blacks 32 10.
/ In Florida the figures are 6.9S whites to
/ i.33 blacks. In Georgia the proportion is
S.2l whites to ll.l7 blacks; in Louisiana,
9.24 whites to l0.0S blacks; in Maryland.
l5.2j whites to 1887 blacks; In Missis-
sippi, 6.97 whites To $40 blacks; North
| Carolina, S.S1 whites TO 1t.7i colOred
south Carolina, 7.46 whites % 1872 col
ored; Tennessee. 80 whites. 1881 coll
ored; Texas, 9 so whites, 1913 colored:
Virginia, 9.46 whites, 1891 colored.
II will be noticed that tie death rate Of
| this class, according 20 the figures. is far
greater in the District OF Columbia and in
[ Maryland than In he other states. This
/ difference may be partially accounted for
bv the iuller returns likely TO be made IN
/ Washington and Baltimore than in coun.
try districts. But the general testimony
of the census and other sources OF inior-
nation Is that the negroes die more
/ rapidly in the cities than in the country.
/ The same is also true to a less extent Of
/ white people.
Another table presents the death rates
I in the several States and European cOun-
/ tries OF children under 1 year old. The
! average In this country will not much
| exceed 10 in 100, DCt I'm some States or
/ districts where there is reason 20 believe
I that the greatest pains are taken 20 arrive
at the truth the hgures run up much
/ higher. Thus, in tue District OF Colum.
hia, the death rate of children is % 80 in
100. ana m Massachusetts II Oj. In Mary
land the rate is 1920, IN New York 1870,
while in Idaho and Montana She rate Is
under g, and IN Dakota and Florida under
: IN 100. Such discrepancies are scarcely
cXpainable on the assumption OF accu-
rate returns. The death rate In Europe
Of children Is twice that here reported.
A table showing tue proportion OF
deaths from disease, suicide. and acci.
dent 10 the sexes. states that i, ,26I males
die Of alcoholism" 20 every / 900 females
In the whole country, while the proper
tion in fifty cities is 2.3Tt.5 to 1000: that
there are 4,052 3 male suicides 10 | 900 fe-
males IN the United States, and in the
fifty cities the proportion is 3,666.G to
1000. Ia the United States there are p
I32 q of male deaths from accidents and
injuries 20 900 female, and IN the fifty
cities the proportion Is 2,975.2 TO 1000.
The compiler concludes that the returns
OF death from the country at large are 10
% 30 per cent. too low, and that instead
OF the aggregate death rate throug hout
the Union being 10 in 1000 per annum, It
] should be Is.