Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1909-11-12
LEADS NATION
South Dakota is the Most Healthful State
in the Union, Having a Remarkably
Low Death Rate.
Death Rate Only lo.1 for Every 1000
Inhabitants---AlsoH Has Lowest Death
Rate Due to Tuberculosis.


South Dakota is the most healthful
state in the union according to q bulle.
tin on mortality statistics which the
census bureau has issued. The gov.
ernment statistics show that South
Dakota had the lowest death rate of
the seventeen representative states
from which mortality reports were OBJ
tanned last year, and that South Dako-
ia also led with the lowest rate of
deaths due to tuberculosis, cancer and
suicide, three of the principal causes
of fatalities in this country.
South Dakota reported 4,946 deaths
during 1908. This gave that state the
remarkably low death rate of only 10.l
for every 1000 inhabitants. Wiscon
sin was the only state to approach this
record with its death rate Of ll6 per
1000. Colorado and California, much
famed as health resorts, had death
rates of II and 1874 per 1000 respect
lively. Other states in the list chosen
by the census bureau to represent the
mortality of the entire country W, ich
also we're surpassed by South Dakota
in healthfulness were Connecticut, In
diana, Maine, Maryland, Massachu
setts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New
jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island. Vermont and Washington.
Decrease In Suicides
Besides showing the lowest death
rate due to suicides, South Dakota
was also the only state in the entire
list to record decrease in suicides
during the year. In 1907 South Doko-
ia had 6S suicides, while last year the
number recorded was 40, decrease
from l43 to 10.l per 100000 of the
states population. California topped
the suicide column with death rate
of 45.1 per 100000 due to that cause.
Washington state scored next with a
suicide rate of 81 per 100000 The
death rate of the entire registration
area Of the seventeen states, due to
suicides, was 1875 per 100000 popula-
ton, again indicating the contentment
of the people of South Dakota is far
greater than that of those in many
other states.
More deaths in South Dakota we're
due to tuberculosis than to any other
one cause, the total fatalities from this
disease in 1908 being 497 for that state,
429 of which we're caused by tubercu-
losis of the lungs. But even with this
number of tuberculosis victims, South
Dakota had the lowest death rate for
that disease of the entire registration
area. South Dakota's death rate per
100000 population due to tuberculosis
was 1O2 Colorado had death rate
of 300.7 per 100000 and California 27l
from tuberculosis Michigan nearly
equalled South Dakota's record with a
tuberculosis death rate of 1925 per
100000.
Live to Good Old Age
The cancer death rate of South Da
kota last year WAS 4G2 per 1OC 600 pop
ulation as compared with 104 for Cal
ifornia, 964 for Maine, 92 9 for Yer
mont, and 627 for Colorado. South
Dakota deaths due to cancer during
the year numbered 225.
OF the 1916 deaths registered in
South Dakota during the year, 1880
were children under 5 years of age.
The next largest number of deaths ia
the state for any five year period was
that of persons between 20 and Is
years OF age, which totaled BOB. This
would seem to indicate that South
Dakotans generally live to good old
age. Further confederation of this
statement is shown by the fact that
1853 Of the 1896 deaths deducting
children under five years] occurred
after the person had passed the 20 year
mark. Fifty-two of these had lived
more than 80 years and 13 came within
five years Of the century mark.
December seems to be the healthiest
month of the year in South Dakota for
the 326 deaths of that month mum
bered the least. January was the
most fatal Of all the months with q
death list of 53l. March coming second
with sos deaths.
HOT SPRINGS VICTORIOUS.