Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-28
COMMERCIAL CLUB TO
INVESTIGATE CONDITIONS
Continued from Page 8.

| MIN.
| venture the assertion. that II
state here, that In Albuquerque dur
| 1909 there were five deaths from
whooping cough. not one of that
| committee dare commit himself as
to whether am telling YOU the truth
or not.
Individuals. mostly medical men.
have attacked me; but these attacks
mean nothing from the fact that
most of them say: II believe this" or
| 81 think that" Certainly this does
not disprove anything that ] have
said / do not tell you that THINK,
these figures or facts about Albu-
querque. l come out boldly and un-
mistakably and tell you that I KNOW
them: and thatsI studied them well
before l gave them to you.
Lastly, the board of health attacks
me, and attempts TO show that my
figures are incorrect These other at
tacks amount to nothing but when
the board of health, which means the
government of the city, takes up the
matter then / admit that this criu-
cism is worthy Of consideration, If for
no other reason. than that II repre-
sents the views of the city officials
who are, or ought to be familiar with
these statistics. The people should
have every reason TO believe what
they say,
Before taking up the criticism of
the board Of health in this matter,
want to take your time for only
moment in showing you exactly how
these comparative health figures are
arrived at.
Health statistics are compiled for
various reasons, one of which Is to
compare different towns, cities or lo-
calities with each other. AS 1t is un-
likely that two towns will have ex-
actly the same population, in order
that we may arrive at just COM
parison OF their sanitary virtues or
defects, it is customary to resolve the
number of deaths which occur in
each place, from a certain disease,
into the number of propcrtionate
deaths which they would have If
each place had a population of 1907
600 people.
For instance. tell you that for
certain year Chicago had two millions
of people and that there occurred
amongst them 234 deaths from
whooping cough. During the same
period. Albuquerque with a popula-
ton of $4,000 had two deaths from
the same cause. You get no idea OF
the relative death rate in these two
places from whooping cough. Now
If I reduce these figures to the pro-
portionate number of deaths which
occur from this disease in both places,
IL each had population of 10000
and tell you that Chicago had death
rate of III to Albuquerque's 14.3
per 100000 of population, you inn
mediately get a comparative concep-
ton OF the destructiveness of this in
fection in the two places.
1t will be noticedYat once, that in
order to get comparisons upon this
basis two factors must be positively
known; First, the number of deaths
from @ certain disease, for given |
period of time; and second, the cor
rect population of the place at the |
same time.
Ii 200 deaths occur in a population |
of 100000, we would have 100 deaths
In 100000. II the zoe deaths occur
red amongst q population of 1000 |
then the death rate would be only so
per 100000.
Therefore II can be seen plainly,
hat If you keep your death factor
stationary and increase you factor of
population you REDUCE your death
ate per 100000.
Here 1t is again If divide two ap-
oles among twenty people, 1t is the
anne as dividing one apple amongst
EN- If l increase the people to forty
nd still have only the same two APP
lies to divide. it is the same as one
lalf of an apple being divided
Imongst ten.
Frequently we may know accur-
tely the number of deaths which
ccur, but we have to estimate the
population of q place. II our esti
nate of the population is twice too
arge, our proportionate death rate
$ reduced one-half; and we make a
OF the facts.
/ have gone into this minutely for |
purpose. | will now ask you to read
he paragraph from the Tribune Cit
zen of December 22nd. written by
he board of health. 1t says:
''In the first place the persons fig !
res are misleading, as the statistics $
this city have not yet been com I
lied by the census bureau. In the 81
CURES he gives they are one and all
ased upon the number OF deaths in =
90, 900. During the year 1910 we e
ad deaths from typhoid amounting n
two. within the city limits. and q
SSUMING that Albuquerque has a
D. 900 people within the city limits a
n EXTR EMELY LARGE PROPOR- 4
ION, which do not believe the CEN
is will show, would give a percent c
&c of ten per 1000 considerably
Glow the alarmist's figures in yester- "
~ mornings paper. N
This is all based upon population Il
10000, an EXCESSIVE ESTI- a
ATE in the city limits
What has been done. The board of g
salth assumes Albuquerque has 20. lo
10 people within the city limits. ii
ext. being honest. II tells you that 81
is is an EXTREMELY LARGE Il
(which | do not be- Al
we the census will show" The Il
Drds "ExTREMELY LARGE PRO- b'
)RTION'' are placed in italics so as di
again asure you of honesty. Then in
l =