The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-28
LOWEST DEATH RATE ON REC
ORD.
Only is Deaths per 1000 Population
I'm the Census Bureaus Registra.
tion Area In 1909.

Washington, d. c., Sept. 23.-The
death rate in the death registration
cities and states Of the United States
dropped to Is per thousand of pro-
visionally estimated population last
year, according to the forthcoming
United States Census Bureaus bulle-
tin on mortality statistics for 1909.
which has been submitted to Direc-
tor Durand by Dr. Cressy l.. Wilbur,
chief statistician for vital statistics.
In 1908 the death rate in che
Census Bureaus registration area
was 15.4 per thousand and in the bu-
reaus annual report for that year.
issued last spring, 1t was stated that
II Is evident an era of low mortality
has begun.
The death rate for 1909 is, the
bulletin states. lower than that for
any previous year of registration and
probably Is the lowest that ever oc-
CURED in the history Of the United
States.
II Is stated that the mortality was
distributed with more than ordinary
uniformity throughout the year 1909
and no epidemics of other than g.
very local extent were found to have
occurred.
1t Is a fact Of much interest, the
bulletin states. as showing the gen.
eral prevalence In 1909 Of extremely
favorable conditions for human life,
that the death rate Of England and
Wales for that year was 14.5 per
thousand, which was also the lowest
on record for that country, while the
rate Of ID for the city Of London was
even lower and demonstrates the fall
lacy of the belief that high death
rates are necessarily found In large
cities.
The total number Of deaths return
ed from the registration area for
1909 was 1888. an increase Of 4O,-
s64 over the number. 691,574, re-
turned for 1908.
OF the total number In 1909, there
were 39S,597 deaths, or 54.4 per
cent. among males. as compared with
54.3 in 1908.
The largest number of deaths re-
turned for any month In 1909 was
70,093 for March. With the great
majority of the registration states
and cities 1t Is the month having the
largest number Of deaths, while
June Is the months Of lowest NOR
tality.
The Professionally estimated aggre-
gate population Of the registration
area OF the United States in 1909 is
4s.776,S93 or $50 per cent Of the to-
tai estimated population Of conti-
mental United States.
The official death registration area
Is composed Of those states and
; cities which require the registration
OF death before the issuance Of a
burial permit and which have COM
piled with other requirements i'm
posed by the Census Bureau as con-
ditions precedent to inclusion in this
area whose death returns are annu-
ally collected. tabulated, analyzed.
and presented In bulletin and report
form by the Census Bureau. In 1903
the death registration area included
! the following states:
California. Colorado, Connecticut
Indiana, Maine. Maryland, Massa-
J chusctts, Michigan. New Hampshire,
New Jersey New York Ohio. Penn
! 5ylvan'a, Rhode Island South Dako-
Ia, Vermont, Washington, and Wis
! consln.
In addition to these, returns OF
! deaths were received from 54 cities
| in nonregistration states, I'm which
the registration under local ordi-
nanCes is considered satisfactory.
| The District OF Columbia. which Is
| coterminous with the city OF Wash
ington. IS not included in tho list OF
separate registration cities. For most
] purposes IL Is treated as a city. but
/ In the table showing groups OF regis
! tration states the District Of Colum-
I hia Is included as n state area.