The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-07
MORTALITY AMONG
CHILDREN GREAT
Two Hundred Thousand YOUNG
Folks Might Be Saved
Annually.
CENSUS BUREAU REPORT
IT STATES THAT THE PRESENT
DAY KNOWLEDGE OF SANITARY
METHODS SHOULD STOP THIS
BIG WASTE OF LIFE.

Washington. Nov. 6.-Two hundred
thousand children die annually from
preventive diseases in the United
States. Such is the assertion of the
United States census bureau, which
has just completed a compilation of
vital statistics for 1908. The bureau
refers to this mortality as a waste
more serious than race suicide. Pre-
sent day knowledge of sanitary meas
ures, it says, should step in and stop
the waste. The registration area for
which statistics are presented en-
braces only about one-half of the total
population of the United States For
this registration area 691.574 deaths
were returned for 1908. Nearly one
fifth were of infants under one year
of age, and over one-fourth OF children
less than five years of age. The
bureau notes in passing that the brute
force of the figures representing the
than any ratios or the rates Of infant
mortality.
Except From Accidents.
DR.. Cressy l.. Wilbur. who assembl-
ed the statistics for the government.
asserts that children should not die
at all in early infancy or childhood,
except from the comparatively small
mr. 0f ~;D
ly unavoidable. The bureau points out
that the general death rate of the
country is largely dependent on its in
FAINT mortality because the death rates
of infants and young children are high
and affect a relatively numerous ele-
ment of the population. Exact study
of the incidents of disease upon in.
fancy and childhood is most import.
ant. the census bureau asserts, and IL
is necessary the bureau declares. that
there should be more effective reg
istration throughout the United States
for this purpose. Attention is called
to the fact that the rate known as "jn.
FAINT mortality" is the ratio on deaths
of infants under one year Of age; not
the ratio to population, but to the
number of children born during the
year. This important ratio, the bureau
says. should be readily available for
fants in every state and in every city
In collecting the vital statistics for
the last year the government discov.
cred that the registration of births in
most of the states is absolutely worth.
less.
Ground Only Scratched.
| Commenting on the statistics the
bureau was able to get together, Dr.
Wilbur says that in the light of the
figures at hand it would seem that
practical sanitation has only made 4
beginning in the work of preventing
the occurrence of infant and child
mortality. THE ground has only been
scratched over" says he. Deep stir.
ring of the soil and thorough cultiva-
ton of all the means available, with
our present scientific and medical
knowledge for the guarding of young
human lives would produce startling
and from past human experience. al.
most unbelievable results. Public
health, as a function Of government, is
itself only creation of the middle OF
the last century, dating from the utili.
cation of the knowledge available as a
result of the operation Of the English
laws for the registration of vital sta
tistics. Even in England, however, NO
systematic efforts have been made un.
til very recently to utilize the utmost
possibilities. 1t is time that greater
attention be given to the subject in
the United States