The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-11-05
n.lnRrALiIY AMONG cHILpREN.

.
American race waste-more serious
taan race suicides pointed out in
scensns Mortality bulletin No. 1O4, in
Which tits estimated that annually in
the United States from 100000 to 2OO,-
900 babies under i've years of age die.
from pregentab1e causes. This great
loss OF llEey among the little ones at
! the period when they are most loving
and mos Iogaple could be, prevented,
III Tie opinion of DR.. Greasy L, VIII
bur, Chief tistician for vital statis-
tics OF tae Census Bureau, who pre-
pared the bulletin, on the basis Of
pFesentday knowledge OF sanitary
measures. For the accomplishment
Of efeetlye preventive work in this d.
rectidn. IDr. Wilbur holds that the
prompt registration Of all births and
the more careful and precise state
zment ofcauses OF death by physicians
are essential. In Analysing and COM
pafiiig The totals of death returns re-
gceiYed for, the year 1908 by the Blu
read, those for 1908 show somewhat
increased per cent. of deaths Of in,
fants under one year although tae ra-
ties for each Of the individual years
from one fpur'are identical for 1907
on the,totA number OF deaths, $751;
5E4 IN 1908, 1t is stated that nearly
onesfifth were of infants under one
yeaf OF age and over one-fourth OF
chIidfen less than Ave years Of age.
The brute force of the figures repre-
senting the actual deaths is more i'm
pressiye, however, than any ratios OF
than the rates of infant mortality,
even IL the later could be computed
I'M the absence of proper registration
Or births. stattstics show that more
than one-Hghth OF q million babies,
under one year of age and fully 2O0.-
coo children, under FIVE years OF age,
died among about one-half Of the to-
tai population of the United States
in 1905. 1t is considered probable that
fully 100000 more died in those cities
and states not included in the Census
hureau death-registration area.
In this connection, Dr.. Wilbur quot,
ed Professor Irving Fishers conclu-
sion that of all the diseases Of in
fancy, having the median age one
year, Al per cent. may be prevented
and that OF the diseases OF childhood
having medIap age two to eight
years. CT per cent. may be prevented.
The GENERAL death rate of country
is largely dependent upon its infant
mortality, because the death rates o.
innsnts and young children are high
and they affect q relatively numerous
element, OF the population. Exaci
study Of the incidents OF disease upon
infancy and childhood is most import
ant, and It Dis imneratlyely necessary
that there should be more etfectivE
registration OF births througaout. th'
United States for this purpose,
Rhe extremely important rate know
as aIniant mortality" is the ratio o
deaths under one year OF age, not t
population hut to the number Of chill
dren bonn ALIKE during the year Fhti
most important ratio should be read
nv available for the apmparatlye stud
81 deaths OF Infants in all of on
I states and cities. but, the bulletil
states In the great majority Of them
unfortunately, the registration o
births is worthless. and ratios calct
lated upon the returns would be DE-
cep Ne and nnrelia ble.
I'm the ilght 81 fiEpFesH the .bulleti'
.nHn. lIt monla aeem that SptactIce