The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-12-09
A is
Census Bureau Bulletin Gives State
Lowest Death Rate

@o~Cot SCoti Vhoto
Pierre-South Dakota Is the most
healthful state in the union according
to a bulletin on mortality statistics
which the census bureau has just is
sued. The government statistics
show that South Dakota had the low
est death rate OF the seventeen repre-
sentative states from which mortality
repots wer obtained last year, and
that South Dakota also led with the
lowest rate of deaths due to tubercu-
losis, cancer and suicide, three of the
principal cause of fatalities in this
country.
South Dakota reported 1916 deaths
during 1908. This gave that state the
remarkable low death rate of only
10.1 TO every 1000 inhabitants. Wis
consin was the only state to approach
this record with its death rate of IL
per 1000. Colorado and California
much famed as health resorts, had
death rates of II and 1874 per 900,
respectively. Other states in the list
chosen by the census bureau to repre-
sent the mortality of the entire coun-
try which also were surpassed by
South Dakota in hea%lthfulness were
,OhhtCllCuls luuIdId, ndilC, mdly-
land, Massachusetts, Michigan, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ver-
mont and Washington.
Besides showing the lowest death
rate due to suicides South Dakota was
also the only state in the entire list
to record a decrease Of suicides dur
ing the year. In 1907, South Dakota
had 6S suicides, while last year the
number recorded was 40, a decrease
from 1913 to 10.1 per 1000 of the
states population. California topped
the suicide column with a death rate
Of Ash per 100, 900 due to that cause.
Washington state record next with a
suicide rate of "a per 10000. The
death rate of the entire registration
of seventeen states due to sui
cides. was 1876 per 100, 900 population
again indicating that the contentment
of the people of South Dakota is far
greater that that of those in many
other states.
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 were caused by
tuberculosis OF the lungs. But even
with this number of tuberculosis vic
Tins. South Dakota had the lowest
death rate for that disease of the en-
tire registration area. South Dakota
death rate per 100, 900 population due
to tuberculosis was 1902, Colorado had
a death rate of 1907 per 100 600 and
California 271.2 from tuberculosis;
Michigan nearly equalled South Da-
kota's record with tuberculosis death
rate of 1925 per 100, 600.
The cancer death rate of South Da-
kota last year was 46.2 per 100, 900
as compared with 1912 for
California 96.4 for Maine, 92.2 for Yer
and 62.7 for Colorado, South
Dakota deaths, due to cancer during
year, numbered 225.
kota last year was 46 trodarth TT
OF the 1876 deaths registered in
South Dakota during the year. 1880
were children under five years of age.
The next largest number of deaths in
the state for any five year period was
that of persons between 20 and rs
years of age. which totaled 303. This
would seem to indicate that South Da-
generally live to a good, old
age. Further correlation Of this
statement is shown by the fact that
S5S of the 1856 death (deducting chill
dren under five years, occurred after
the persons had passed the 70-year
mark. Fifty-two of these had lived
more than 80 years and Is came with
in five years of reaching the century
mark.
December seems to be the h%ealthiest
month in the year in South Dakota
for the 1926 deaths of that month num-
the least. January was the most
of all the months with a death
of SCI. March coming second
with sos deaths.