The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-03

Z Washington. II. T. Nofs -NiAN'
lean race wastS-more serious than
race suicides pointed cut in Census
Mortality Ruuctn ". Tea in which Il
i estimated that annually i'm the Unit
Icd states from 100000 TO 2oo.eeo babies
Iunfrr 1--WE years % age die nom pre-
iVcntahle causes. Tl,is great ioSs OF
|lise among the little ones al the per-
I iod when they are most loving ana
most lovablc could bc prevented Is the
iopinion of DR.. Cressy L. Wilbur, Chlct
Statistician for Vital statistics OF the
census Bureau. who prepared the bull
/ lctin, on the basis 81 present-day
bnoWlsdge 81 sanitary measures. For
the accomplishment of effective pre-
.NcntiVe work in this direction, DIR. VII
bur holds that The prompt registration
81 all births ana tho more careful and
precise statement ~ causes OF death
10y physicians are essential.
In analysing and comparing the
totals obtained in the compilation of
transcripts OF death returns received
for the year 1905 by the Census Blu
.rcau from the entire characterization
.area az the United states as set forth
I'm the bulletin. those for age periods
show a somewhat increased per cent.
of deaths of infants under one year
for 1908. although the ratio for each
OF the individual years from one to
four are Identical for 1907 and 1905. or
the total number Of deaths. 69l,57l re
tipf1
area, il Is stated in the bulletin that
nearly onc-iifth were OF infants under
one year OF age and over one-fourth
Of children less than five years of
age. II is declared that the brute force
of the figures representing the actual
deaths is more impressive, however,
than any ratios or than the rates OF
infant mortality. even if the latter
could be computed in the absence of
proper registration of births. Here are
the figures:
More than one-eighth OF n million
babies under one year Of age and fully
100000 children. under five years of
age. died among about one-half of the
total population of the United States
in the year mentioned 1t is consid-
cred probable that fully 100000 more
died i'm those cities and states not in
cluded in the Census Bureau death
registration area. In this connection
DR.. Wilbur quotes Professor Irving
Fishers conclusion that of all the di-
scases Of infancy, having the median
age one year AZ per cent. may be pre-
vented; and that OF the diseases of
childhood having median age two to
eight years, 67 per cent. may be pre-
vented
ut does not seem unreasonable"
Or. Wilbur states, when we consider
the fact that there is apparently no
reason why infants, If properly born,
and this means simply the prevention
Of ante-natal disease and the inn
provement of the health and condl-
tons of life of their parents, should die
az all i'm early infancy or childhood. ex-
cept from the comparatively small pro-
portion of accidents that are strictly
The bulletin continues with state
ment that the general death rate of
country is largely dependent upon its
infant mortality, because the death
rates of infants and young children
are high and they affect a relatively
element of the population.
Exact study of the incidence of di-
sease upon infancy and childhood is
most important, and it is imperatively
necessary that there should be more
effective registration of births through
out tho United States for this pur-
pose. The extremely important rate
known as infant mortality" is the
ratio of deaths of infants under one
year of age not to. population, but to
the number Of children born alive dur
ing the year. This most important
ratio should be readily available for
the comparative study of deaths Of
infants in all of our states and cities,
but, the bulletin states, in the great
Of them, unfortunately, the
registration Of births is worthless, and
ratios calculated upon the returns