The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-28

creased very much in seven years bat as
20 most ct them the relative facts r.
main probably sboag the same. The
volume takes ID twenty-eight cities OF
the United States which had in 1886 pop
ulation of over ioo.aca The total popu-
Iation OF these cities was s.ss..ss9. ard he
total number Of deaths registered during
the census year was -. s53. This shows
an average death rate Of 2is3 to each
l.s9 inhabitants Eight OF the twenty
eight cities had higher death rate than
this. while Philadelphia falls a fraction
below the average With death rate OF
ei.2s per i.eso. The death rate for Seat
lie, although that is not one OF the cities
mentioned. was only As for April last,
and Is considerably lower than any other
city Of its size for the year.
The value of having prompt publication
OF r--.tistics is shown by the fact that
the variation in the death rate in the six
large cities on the Atlantic coast has
varied greatly in the sixteen years be-
tween 1875 and 1890 inclusive. These
cities are Boston. New York. brooklyn,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washing
ton. During this period BoSton's high
est death rate occurred in 1878 when it
reached 59o5 per 1000 OF population. Phil
adelphia's maximum occurred in 1876. the
hot Centennial year. when II "A deaths per
1000 Of population were recorded; and it's
minimum rate happened In 1879 when a
rate of 1859 deaths TO each 1000 was
recorded. No other large city on the
Atlantic coast showed so low a death
rate as this between 1916 and 1899. New
York's highest death rate was $50
in 1881, and Its lowest 1888 IN lsT7.
But the widest variation in the death
rate was In Boston, where II ranged from
500 per 1,oeo OF inhabitants Ia 1875 down
TO q Is In 1879.
In the census year there were 3lis
deaths from old age in the twenty-eight
cities with over 10000 population. an
average death rate of 2247 per 10000 OF
corresponding population. The percent
age of Philadelphia was 1884. The high.
est was in Louisville. where the rate was
1854, and the lowest in ST. Louis. with
tAlS VI n-bt tiS 0G1iil rate III the GILES
under review per 10000 of population 60
years and over was s57.s So in Philadelphia.
es4es In Boston. 500. % in New York, 631. IL
in Baltimore and e64 AZ in Chicago. This
rate is larger among the colored popula-
ton than among the white.
1t is well-known that some months are
more unhealthy than others. but IL Is a
surprise to find that taking the nine
cities-Boston, New York. Brooklyn. Phil
adelphia. Baltimore, Washington, Cincin-
natl. Chicago and st. Louis-for all ages
January is the most unhealthful month
and November the most healthful when
measured by the number of deaths The
average death rate III these cities was
2S.31 per each 10000 OF the inhabitants in
the first month, and in the second month
1910 per each 10000. For children under
5 years of age July, with death rate of
1925 was the most fatal month. and No
vember the least fatal.
One curious fact brought out in these
is that the percentage of suicides in these
nine cities was greater among BARRIERS and
hairdressers than among people engaged
in any other occupation, the rate being
52.s5 per 1000 deaths from all causes. The
next largest percentage was among sa-
loonkeepers. bartenders and tailors. The
class OF people least inclined to suicide
appear to be draymen. hackmen and
transfers, the percentage among them
being only $40 per 100 deaths from all
causes.
1t was no doubt impracticable TO COM
pile very reliable tables showing the COM
parative death rate for various ages In
cities and rural districts. but compila-
ton of longevity would be valuable in de-
termining how far city residence tended to
shorten life. That ii does so is now the
general belief. based less upon statistics
than upon reasonable probabilities