Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-27
DISTRICT RANKS First
DEATHS IN THE REGISTRATION
AREA.
Over 6OO, 600 Lives Lost Out Of Only
Two-Fifths Of the Popula-
ton.

siAS< SSoAS ACVA " ACo1, AiISiuSiSS, AoA ehC
registration area Of the United States. The
statistics in this report are restricted to
states in which the laws requiring the reg
istration of deaths have been accepted as
giving practically complete mortality re-
turns and to cities in non-registrauon
states in which satisfactory returns are re-
quired by the local authorities.
This registration area in 1905 consisted
of ten registration states, the District of
Columbia and lob registration cities in nom
registration states. The ten registration
states were Connecticut, Indiana, Maine,
Massachusetts,, Michigan. New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York. Rhode Island and
Vermont. The population of the entire area
in 1900 was 30, 76o, 81S, representing 400 per
cent of the total population of continental
United States. OF this number 1880. 142
persons, or 1853 per cent of the total popu-
lation, were in registration states, and
10 SO4, S76 persons, or 14.2 per cent. were In
registration cities in non-registration states.
Five additional states-California, Colo
RADIO, Maryland Pennsylvania and South
Carolina-have recently been added to the
Registration area" and will hereafter be
mortality statistics An urgent plea is made
that other states adopt laws requiring the
registration Of deaths.
District Ranks the Highest.
The total number Of deaths reported from
the various kinds of diseases in 1905 ag-
gregated 545. 533, and those for the preced-
ing year amount to 551 1854. On a percent
age basis the death rate was in 1905 1872 in
each thousand of population. The follow
ing figures show the death rates per 1000
of the registration states for 1905: Con-
necticut, 1875; District Of Columbia, 2O.5:
Indiana, 1913; Maine, 1862; Massachusetts,
1913; Michigan, 1876; New Hampshire, 10;
New Jersey, 1853; New York, 10; Rhode
Island. III, and Vermont. ITO
The causes, with their rates. to which %
or more deaths per 10000 of population
were attributed in 1905, ranked according to
number of deaths per 100000. are as fol-
lows: tuberculosis of lungs, 1852; pneu-
monia. 1901; heart disease, 1928; diar-
rhea and enteritis. 1857; nephritis and
Bright's disease, 1O4.3: apoplexy, 1872; can
Ger, I'll; accidental traumatisms, 42.1; old
age, 1854; meningitis, $40; bronchitis. 1875;
premature birth, 32.9; congenital debility.
31.5; typhoid fever, 2S1. and diphtheria and
Group, 1913.
Over SOC, 900 Deaths.
Out Of only two-fifths of the population
Of the United States more than half a mil
lion lives were offered upein 1905 as a sac
rifice to disease. Startling as this death
rate may seem, 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 and Italy for the same
period, but higher than that Of England
and Wales, Scotland and the Netherlands.
disease. apoplexy, cancer, diabetes and up
pendicitis Is increasing, while that from
old age, bronchitis, commissions, peritonitis
and scarlet fever are decreasing.
The greatest death rate recorded for any
one disease in 1905 was that from pulmon-
airy tuberculosis, amounting to 6&,77O, while
pneumonia follows closely with a death
rate of 39.O6S, exclusive of broncho-pneu-
- 49, H.
steadily growing death rate, the figures
being 24,330.
The report discusses the prejudice of
physicians in reporting tuberculosis Of the
lungs. and states that they often report
some other disease in its stead. Other
deaths, 1t is stated. were undoubtedly at
tributable to this disease, but were not re-
turned as such. Co. t--
causes Of death. OF the 1880 deaths from
this disease, 9,1S9 were of males while
5,141 were of females. Deaths from this
disease occur principally in advancing age,
between the years Of sixty and sixty-four.
DR.. Woodward Discredits Statistics.
When asked today for an expression of
opinion upon the census bureau placing the
District of Columbia at the head of the
death rate for their registration area of
the United States, DR.. William C. Wood
ward, health officer declared that he did
not place mucn cFedence IN any StatlSt1cS
furnished by that Office. He said that the
census Office has always underestimate the
population of the District its figures having
been several times shown by the census
taken by the police department to be in
correct.
DR.. Woodward asserted that according
to his records the death rate of the Dis
trict per 1000 population in 1906 was 1873.
''The uncOfrected death rate in any COM
munity is not a fair index" he said, Ito
the healthfulness of the community. More
over, the comparison of a city death rate
like that of the District of Columbia with
a combined city and county death rate,
such as the death rate of any state taken
in its entirety, Is illogical. in view of the
difference in the conditions surrounding
urban life and those surrounding life in the
country and small villages and towns"