Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-12-31
MORTALITY RECORD
SHOWS DECREASE
FOR YEAR 1872
State and Cities Paying More
Attention to Regulations
for Safeguarding Health and
ProIonging Life,

SPECIAL eoRazspoHpsHeE 70 noRH'rs JOURNAL
Washington. Dec. 30.-The mortal
ity statistics of the United states for
1912 are contained In the report on
fthat subject just published BY Direc-
tor William j. Harris. of the bureau
Of the census. department of conf
merce. 1t is the thirteenth annual re-
port of the series, which began in
1900, and was prepared under the
supervision Of DR. Cressy L. Wilbur,
chief statstician for vital statistics.
Unfortunately. the mortality sta
tistics do not include the entire coun-
try. but only those states and cities
in which the registration Of deaths
is approximately complete This area,
known as the registration area for
deaths" embraced nearly two-thirds
(68.2 per cent? of the total estimated
population of the United states in
1912. as compared with only little
over two-fifths 4O5 per cent? in
1900. The increase is gratifying. and
there is widespread interest through
out the country. especially in the
south, in regard TO vital statistics.
virginia has just been admitted, as
the result of the model law adopted
In 1912, and laws of like character
are now in operation in other south
ern states, namely, Kentucky tad-
mitted in 191), Mississippi, Arkan-
sas, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Active efforts to secure such legisla-
ton will be made in Georgia and
South Carolina as well as in the
northern states Of Illinois and Iowa,
Mt the next session of their legisla-
lures
The total number of deaths regis
tered was 83S,25f, corresponding TO a
death rate of 1879 per 1000 popula-
ton. The rate is the lowest on rec
ord, that for 1911, previously the most
favorable year. being 1A2. The year
1912 was also unusually healthful
abroad, a new low mortality figure Of
1913 per 1000 being established for
England and Wales.
BY sex. there were 459,112 deaths
Of males and 379,139 deaths of fe-
males. The proportion Of deaths of
infants under one year to total deaths
U7.6 per cent? was slightly lower
than that for 1911 G7.S per cent?.
Fun details are given of the deaths
during the first days. weeks and
months Of life Of the 141455 babies
who died before they reached their
first birthday, but satisfactory fig
ures for infantile mortality can not
be given. because Of the very general
neglect Of effective birth registration.
The bureau is making an earnest ef-
fort to remedy this condition and Will
publish statistics showing what states
and cities enforce their laws for this
purpose in its next report
Attention is also called to the de-
STABILITY Of a fun statement Of the
facts in regard to deaths Of non-resl-
dents and deaths in hospitals and in
| stitutions as required on the standard
certificate Of death, also relative to
more precise statements Of causes of
death and the duration Of Illness. A
booklet has recently been distributed
to all physicians in the United states
in order to secure their aid for this
purpose.
Diagrams show the variations Of
the death rate from all causes and
important diseases since 1900. Tuber-
culosis markedly decreased, although
HI stiH causes vast number Of un-
i necessary deaths-90 $50, or 149.5 pei
10000 in 1912. This was over lC
per cent (10.s) Of the total mortal
ity. Next came organic diseases Of
the heart. with S6,179 deaths (addine
endocarditis. they slightly exceeded
|. tuberculosis), acute. nephritis and