Mexico Missouri message., 1910-01-20


he average man or woman has
ever years of survival to expect.
rnce their physical vigor and vitality less
lbe to throw off disease than would have been
he case half century ago
This seems. on the face o.; it, so surprising a
statement that. in order to be accepted, it should
,e backed up by data authentic and indsputable
such data furnished by the figures of the in
mrance companies (which all agree on the point)
,ut it is easier to refer to the government CEN
us reports which tell the tale in simple and
convincing fashion. Not only people living
ess long than they did half a century ago, but
he decrease in longevity is progressive. Even
Turing the last Is years the death rate among all
PERSONS over So years of age, of both sexes, has
'isen very considerably.
In Part l of the third volume of the United
States census will be found a tabuated state
nent which shows in q very striking way the
Use in the death rate for all ages from GO up l
lave brought the figures up to date, with the help
If fresh information from Washington-a matter
If no little Importance, inasmuch as the increase
las been marked. Thus corrected for accuracy,
he reckoning shows that there has been this in
crease in the death rate for the entire United
States:
For people of ages from so to g. seven per
cent.
For people of ages from G5 to SO, 61A per
cent.
For people of ages from 70 to "A, 1914 per cent
sent
For people of ages from so to "a, Is per cent
For people of ages from SO to SO, IL per cent
For people of ages from 80 to "a, 30h per
cent
For people of 95 and up, 2O1s per cent
These figures tell the story more clearly than
The most eloquent discourse on the subject. They
show that Notwithstanding improved medical
knowledge and the benefits of modern sanitation,
we are dying earlier than our grandparents did.
The reason why offers a topic for considerable
discussion and is not to be summed up in word,
out one may discover it without much difficulty
In the more complex and luxurious life that we
lead. The lives of our forebears were compare
| lively simple and their constitutions, unweak-
| ened by the luxury and intense nervous strain
Of an existence like that of to-day, were stronger
than ours and betters able to Withstand the APP
prOaches of disease.
Plenty of proof of this fact may be found in
the vital statistics of our population, especially
In the cities, the figures showing that while the
| death rate from diseases common to children has
enormously diminished, within the last few years
| the mortality from maladies more properly be
longing to later life, such as heart disease, apo
plexy, cancer and ailments of the liver and kid
| neys has risen to an alarming extent. Nay
more, it is stir going up and seems likely to con
! lnue to increase.
The average baby born to-day has chance
of reaching five years of age better by 90 pei
| cent, than would have been the case half cen
fury ago. It's prospect of escaping the diseases
Of childhood and growing up is vastly improved
as compared with earlier days
Now, It is very desirable to save the babies
and one of the greatest triumphs of our newer
civilization is the successful rearing of three hu
man infants for every two that survived half 9
century ago. But It is undeniable that the race
as a whole suffers by the change, inasmueh al
| the weaklings instead of being welded out, ara
thus enabled to grow up. These weddings mo-
| only propagate other weddings, but, by reason
Of their inferior vigor of constitution commonly
fail to reach old age, In this fact doubtless Il
found one cause of the rise in the death rate II
! later life
Nothing surely could well be more strang'
than the spectacle presented to our view OF
great and increasing acceleration OF the sweet
of the dread scythe among people beyond middle
age, while multitudes of children are CONSTANT.
! escaping who must formerly have succumbed,
both cases, too, 1t is our advanced and perfecte'
civilization that furnishes the cause reseuing tn
young but moving down the old. So far. indeed
1 does the harm neutralze the good that, notwith
standing ali the achievements OF modern hygien
and medical discovery, It Is doubtful whether III