The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-11-04
WASTE OF CHILD
REN'S LIVES GREAT
Estimated that About 200, 900 Die
Annually in the United States
From Preventable Causes of
Death.
FIGURES ARE GIVEN
BY CENSUS BUREAU.
Prompt Registration of all Births
and More Precise Statement OF
Causes of Death are Thought
Essential.

| Washington, D. c., Nov. 2, 90
American race waSte--mOre Sc
|rious than race suicides point
ed out in Census Mortality Bull
letin No. 104, in which it is esti-
mated that annually in the Unit
led States from 100000 to 2O0,-
loco babies under FIVE years OF
lage die from preventable causes.
| This great loss of life among the
little ones at the period when
they are most loving and most
lovable could be prevented, is the
lopinion of DR.. Cressy l.. Wilbur
Chief Statistician for Vital Sta
ltiStics OF the Census Bureau, who
prepared the bulletin, on the ba-
sis of present-day knowledge OF
SANITARY measures. For the ac-
complishment OF effective pre-
Iventive work in this direction, DR.
Wilbur holls that the prompt
registration of all births and the
more careful and precise state
ment OF causes Of death by ply
Sicians are essential.
In Analysing and comparing
the totals obtained in the COM
3ilation of transcripts of death
returns received for the year 1908
by the Census Bureau from the
entire death registration area o.
the United States, as set forth
in the bulletin, those for age Pc
RODS show somewhat increased
per cent of deaths of infants I'M
der one year for 1908, although
| the ratios for each OF the individ-
ual years from one to four are
identical for 1907 and 1908. o.
| the total number of deaths, 691,-
574 returned for 1908 from the
entire registration area, it is stat
ed i'm the bulletin that NEARLY
lone-fifth we're of infants under
one year of age and over one
fourth of children less than five
Years OF age. 1t is declared that
the brute, force of the figures rep
resenting 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 mil
lion babies, under one year OF
age and fully 100000 children,
under FIVE wears of age, died
| among about onelhalf of the to-
tai population of the United
States in the year mentioned. 1t
lis considered probable that FULLY
100000 more died in those cities
and states not included in the
Census Bureau death registra-
Ition area. In this connection Dr.
Wilbur quotes Prof. Irving Fish
er's conclusion that of all the
disease OF infancy, having the
medium age two to eight years,
may lie prevented; an. that pi
the diseases Of childh having
median age two 10 eight years,
|67 per cent may be prevented.
The br',eitir .ol - with
Ia statement that lie general
leath rate of a country is large
lily dependent upon its infant
mortality, because the death rates
Of infants and young children are
thigh and they affect relative
numerous element of the popula-
tion. Exact study OF the incidence
Of disease upon infancy and child
hood is most important, and it
lis imperatively necessary that
there should be more effective
Registration of births throughout
the United States for this pur-
pose. The extremely important
rate known as Infant mortality
lis the ratio of deaths OF infants
under one year of age, not to pop
ulation but to the number OF chill
dren born alive during the year.
This most important ratio should
be readily available for the COM
Iparative study of deaths OF in
fants in all of our states and cities
but, the bulletin states, in the
great majority OF them, unfort-
unately. the registration OF births
lis worthless, and ratios calculat-
ed upon the returns would be de-
1eptive and unreliable.
"The possibility of great saw
ling of human life during infancy
and early childhood is emphasiz-
ed by the estimates made by
!. Prof. Irving Fisher, on the basis
of independent medical opinions,
for his Report on National Vital
ity to the National Conservation
Commission, as to the ratio OF
preventability (postponabllity)
that is, ratio of preventable
deaths from cause named for GER
tain diseases of early life.
Out OF every 100 deaths that
Ioccur from each disease in which
the median age at death is under
) years, there could be prevented
the following numbers: Perma-
ture birth 40; congenital debil-
lily 40; venereal diseases 20; diar-
rhoea and enteritis, the most
important cause OF infant NOR
tally, 60; measles 10; acute
bronchitis 30; bronchopneumonia
so; whooping cough 40; Group
(Which means diphtheria) rs
meningitis 20: diseases of larvnx