Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-11
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ably higher among the married than among the single, and still higher among the widowed. Of course the large number of children included in the single class makes this proportion less appalling for the married class than would appear at first glance. The high est rate of all is found among widow CTS under A years. "
 For all ages above 15 consumption caused larger proportion of deaths among married women than among married men.
 The influence of race is an extremely difficult one to trace, because of varying social, economic and other conditions. A broad comparison. based on color, shows that the percentage of deaths caused by consumption among the whites is 1905 and among colored per sons is 1855, the colored including per- sons of African descent, Indians, Chi nese and Japanese. The rate per 1000 is only 1.74 among the whites and ASA among the colored. ... lAC SulACoc, WuO dI6 Ju0 WOISL Sul. ferers from consumption, live usually in the most unsanitary parts of cities, are undernourished, their constitutions are weakened by drugs, and except on the Pacific coast, they are under the additional disadvantage of unaccus- toned extremes of climate. The preva- lence of consumption among the Indi- ens illustrates the disastrous effects of civilization on savage race.
 The case of the negroes is more com plex. They also. to some extent, suffer from a civilization foreign to their na- ture, imposed upon them, not evolved by themselves. Certain facts about their social and economic condi- tions have a direct bearing on the problem of consumption. The mass of the people is ignorant of hygienic laws They prefer unwholesome diet and choose their clothing for its decorative rather than for its utilitarian value. Before the civil war they were an agri- cultural people; now they are huddled into the worst parts of the cities.
 The severity of the winter in the north also is trying upon the poorly protect cd. Industrial conditions and irre- sponsibility on the part of husbands and fathers too often make the mother the chief or sole wage earner, and the chill dren are left to grow up as they can, those who survive with weakened con- stitutions. With negroes consumption is prevalent even among the children. Among the whites the Irish are by far the greatest sufferers from tuberculosis, their predisposition to the disease being accounted for by their fondness for crowded sections of the cities. their happy-go-lucky, shiftless temperament and the generations of poverty.
 Next to them in mortality among the whites. although it is only half as great as the Irish. are the Bohemians. who also congregate in cities, living in un- sanitary conditions and engaging in un- sanitary occupations.
 Next in order of mortality from con- sumption come the Scandinavians. It is suggested that the change in climatic conditions and their prejudices against ventilation are in some degree responsi- ble for this. Although Italians. Rus sians. Hungarians and Poles live almost exclusively in tenement districts under far worse conditions than the Germans or the Irish. they are found the least liable of all to consumption. This is accounted for by their being compara- lively free from drunkenness, and drink helps to explain many of the variations | in the table.
 To counteract the unfavorable condi- tions in which the Italians live and the exposure to climatic rigors. to which they are unaccustomed. is opposed a temperament to which worry and anx- iety are foreign. Moreover. the elderly or the invalid Italian frequently re- turns to his native land to end his days, | and his death does not therefore figure i in the death rate in this country.