The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-03-08
.COUNTRYs Big DEATH RATE
More Than Half Million Succumb
To Disease. a9s ser

Washington Especially. = Out OF
only two-fifths of the population OF
the United States, more than half
million lives were offered up in 1905
as a. sacrifice to disease. Startling
as this death rate may seen. 1T was
less than that for the preceding year,
but was in excess of the number OF
deaths registered for any other year.
This death rate is lower than that
of Ireland, Germany or Italy for the
| 3me period, but higher than that
If England and Wales, Scotland and
lac Netherlands.
The death rate from nephritis and
Bright's disease, apoplexy, cancer,
diabetes and appendicitis is increas-
ing, while that from old age, bron-
chitis, commissions, peritonitis and
scarlet fever is : decreasing. The
greatest death rate recorded for any
one disease in 1905 was that from
pulmonary tuberculosis, amount to
56,770, while pneumonia follows
closely with a death rate of 39,O6S,
exclusive of broncho-pneumonia. The
much dreaded cancer shows a steadily
growing death rate, the figures be-
ing 24,330.
The above are the more interest
ing facts brought out in a report is
sued by the census bureau giving
the statistics of mortality for 1905,
together with revised figures for the
years 1901 to 1904, inclusive, for
the registration area of the United
States. The statistics in this report
are restricted to states in which the
laws requiring the registration OF
deaths have been accepted as giving
practically complete mortality re-
turns and to cities in non-registra-
ton states in which satisfactory re-
turns are required by the local au-
thorities.
The registration area in 1905 con-
sisted of 10 registration states, the
District of Columbia and 123 regis
tration cities in non-registration
states. The 10 registration states
were Connecticut, Indiana, Maine,
Massachusetts,, Michigan, New Hamp-
shire, New Jersey. New York,
Vermont and Rhode Island. The po-
pulation of the entire area in 1900
was 30,765,618, representing 40.5
per cent. of the total population of
continental United States. OF this
number 19,960,742 persons, or 1858
per cent. of the total population,
were in registration states, and 10,-
804,S76 persons, or 14.2 per cent,
were in registration cities in nom
registration states.
Five additional states-Californi
Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania and
South Carolina-have recently been
added to the registration area and
will hereafter be included in the cen
sus bureaus reports on mortality
statistics.
An urgent plea is made that other
states adopt laws requiring the reg
istration of deaths.
The total number of deaths report
ed from the various kinds of diseases
in 1906 aggregated 545,533, and
those for the preceding year amount
ed I. 151,354. On percentage basis
the death rate was in 1905, 1872 in
each 1000 of population.
The following figures show the
death rates per 1000 of the registra-
ton states for 1905:
Connecticut, 1875; District of Co
lumbia, 20.5; Indiana, 1913; Maine,
1862; Massachusetts,, 1853; Michigan,
1875; New Hampshire, 10; New
Jersey, 1915, view IOTk, It.V,
Rhode Island, III, and Vermont,
40.
The causes, with their rates, to
which 20 or more deaths per 100000
of population were attributed in
1905, ranked, according to number of
deaths per 100000, are as follows:
tuberculosis of lungs, 1882; pneu-
monia, 1901; heart disease, 1875;
diarrhoea and enteritis 1857; ne
phritis and Bright's disease, 14.3;
apoplexy, 1872; cancer, 72.1; acci-
dental traumatisms. 42.1; old age,
1854; meningitis, 34.5; bronchitis,
335; premature birth, $685. con-
genital debility, 31.5; typhoid fever,
ISL; and diphtheria and Group,
23S t-
The report discusses the prejudice
of physicians in reporting tubercu-
losis of the lungs, and states that
they often report some other dis
ease in its stead Other deaths, it
is stated, were undoubtedly attribu-
table to this disease, but were not
returned as such.
Cancer ranks seventh among the
various causes of death. OF the "a
$40 deaths from this disease, 9,1S9
were of males, while 1914 were Of
females. Deaths from this disease
occur principally in advancing age,
between the years of 60 and ga.
RICH FARMER KILLS, FOUR.