The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-05-04

tlSIlCS regarding the causes OF death
for the registration area of the United
States for 1911 are presented in a
bulletin soon to be issued by Director
Durand, Bureau of the Census, De-
partment OF Commerce. 1t was pre-
pared under the direction OF DR.. Ores
sy L. Wilbur, chief statistican for vi
tai statistics.
Typhoid Fever.
There were 12,451 deaths from ty.
phoid fever in the registration area Of
the United States during the year
1911, a slight decrease from the num-
Der for the preceding year. The death
rate was 81 per 100000 population for
1911, 23.5 for 1910, and oil for 1909.
The rate for 1911 is the lowest from
typhoid fever since the institution of
the annual reports and probably the
lowest on record. This fact and the
progressive reduction in the mortality
from this disease from 80 per 100000
population for the period 1901 to 1905
to 25.6 for the period of 1906 to 1910,
indicate that the public health Off
Gals of the country and the people
who support their efforts are awaken
ing to the necessity of wiping out this
filth disease. The mortality from this
cause in the United States is still far
in excess of that of progressive Euro
pean countries. If it could be re.
duced by three-fourths, so that it
would be only 5 per 100000 as in Eng
land and Wales, the Netherlands, and
Prussia, for 1910, it would represent
a saving of nearly 100000 lives at the
period of their greatest usefulness, as
a rule, in the registration area alone.
The cities of 100000 population and
over having the highest death rates
from typhoid fever in 1911 were: At
lanta, 661; Memphis. 65.4 Nashville,
$50; Birmingham, 45.5; and Spokane,
35.6-all but the last, cities of the
south; while the lowest rates. valu-
able as evidence that the typhoid NOR
tally of American cities need not ex-
coed that of the well-regulated Euro
pean cities, are recorded for Cam
bridge. rs, and Bridgeport, 3.S. Chi
cago and New York had the same
rates for the year, 1919; and several
cities, besides Cambridge and Bridge
port, had rates under 10 per 100000,
namely Worcester, 6; Paterson, Z;
Jersey City, IL; Lowell, 73; and Bos-
ton, 81.
Measles.
Measles caused 5,992 deaths in the
registration area during 1911, equival-
ent to death rate Of 10 per 100000.
The death rate was somewhat less
than that of the preceding year, 1913,
but exceeded that for 1909, &c, and
1908, 0.9. Kentucky had the highest
death rate from measles, 1877, of all
the registration states; Missouri the
next highest, 1871; the North Carolina
1916, coming next in or
der OF the large cities with 100000
and over, Nashville had
the highest rate from this disease,
So; followed by Fall River, 37.5;
Memphis, 27.S; Louisville, 25.5; and
%.
Scarlet Fever.
Scarlet fever, with 5,243 deaths. or
So per 100000 population, was consid-
erably less fatal than during the
years 1908 to 1910. in which the
leath rates ranged from LA to 11.9.
The states reporting the highest NOR
atty from scarlet fever in 1911 were
Utah, 14.5 per 100000 population; New
York, 1885, Rhode Island, 1914; and
Ohio, 1913. Among the large cities,
Cleveland had the highest death rate,
s3; followed by ST. Louis, 277: SYRIA
,use, IS; Rochester, %; and Chicago,
21.9
Whooping Cough.
OF the three chiidren's diseases
scarlet fever and whooping
last mentioned caused
more deaths during the period 1905
W IJlU tHdu tlIHSI VI LIE OluSIS. GOF
1911 there were returned for the reg
area 6.6S2 deaths, correspond
ing to death rate of lib per 100 600
population. The states showing the
highest death rates from whooping
cough in 1911 were Rhode Island 21.7
and Kentucky, 10. The North Caro-
lima municipalities had high rate,
1852: and of the cities of 100000 popu-
lation and over in 1910, the highest
rates for 1911 were those of Nash
vile, 1872: Richmond, 31.7; New Or
leans, 2S1; Atlanta, 24.3; and Cam
bridge, 22.5-all except the last,
southern cities with large negro popu-
lation.
DiphtherIa and Group.
To some extent a childrens disease,
but with a wider range of age Incl
dence than measles, scarlet fever or
whooping cough, diphtheria caused
nearly twice as many deaths in 1911
as any of the other three. The death
rate was 1879 per 100000 population,
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