The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-05
RECORDS LOWEST
DEATH RATE IN
CITY'S HISTORY
Continued From First Pago)


1907, with deaths among nonresIdonts
included, end $3.50 per 1000 with
deaths among nonresidents excluded.
Stated still another way. the crude
death rate for Richmond. with deaths
among nonresidents included. has do
ciined It per cent, while. excluding
deaths among nonresidonts. II has de-
clincd IL per cont since 1907"
Death From Special Causes.
IL is. however. when we come to
consider the death rate from some spe-
cial causes that we find tho greatest
source OF satisfaction. At tho very
beginning OF any discussion OF this
phase or our returns we must state
that there were more deaths from
acute contagious diseases in 1913 than
thoro were In 1912 This, however, is
rate from typhoid fever. malarial
Fever, measles scarlet fever. whooping
cough and diphthcria in 1912 was only
30.G per 100000.
Tho statement was mado In our 1912
report that this phenoinenally low
combined rate would probably not be
equalled for many years. The chief
reason for this Is that the normal
death rate from these diseases varies
greatly from year to year, and It 30
happened that 1912 was an on-year
for both measles and whooping cough
the two contagious diseases OF infancy
and childhood. which. In Richmond,
cause more deaths than any others In
the Same class.
1913 Measles Yenr.
The year 1918. on the other hand.
was a measles year. es had been con-
hdently predicted, while whooping
cough. too. had high ratio. Remem-
bering. therefore. that We expected the
death rate from measles and, probably
also from whooping cough, to be high
in 1913. we feel that we came through
we'll in being no harder hit
While the combined death rata from,
the six diseases mentioned above was
GO per 100000 in 1913. against tho
phenoinenally low rate of sos In 1872,
is shown by the fact that the average
rate for cities IN nonregistration
States {and these arc the cities with
which Richmond can most Justly be
compared) was 973 IN 1911, the latest
year for which the official figures have
been published by the United States
Bureau of the Census.
AS sta ted above, 1918 was a measles
eeaT. as had been confidently predicted.
We had twenty-five deaths. or 1873 per
100000 Inhabitants, which was much
lower than In the two other epidemic
years since 1906 having been 800 in
tho epidemic Of 1907, and 22.7 in tho
epidemic OF 1910.
WhoopiDE Cough Had Inning.
Whooping cough also had an inning
in 1913, claiming seventeen victims,
making @ rate OF 12.9 per 100000,
which was also d good out for bad
year. paradoxical as this may sound
Leaving the group OF acute infec-
tious diseases, we come to a wonder
fully encouraging set of figures In
rantIie dlarrhea was the cause OF only
1lo this. giving death rate of only
s4.s per 100000 Inhabitants at all ages.
say only IN connection with this
rate because II is go much lower than
VIC have ever had before Within ten
s!deied crimtrally high. The lowest
ratio over recorded for Richmond before
1913 was 1910 per 100000, In 1912;
while in 1911 tho rate was 1916; In
1910 II was 1921; in 1909 1865: in
1908. 1870; in 1907, 1870. The annual
inclusive. was l34.s. while. to repeat. it
was 1910 in 1912 and S4.S In 1913. an
average OF s2.s for tho last two years.
Infant Mortality.
This Is ore of the most gratifying OF
all our results, for the following rea-
work for the prevention OF infant NOR
tally. We worked along lines similar
to those followed in other places send
ms nurses TO the homes In which there
were young Infants and !nstructing
their mothers in the care OF their
babies especially in reference to prop
er feeding. Our general milk supply
being SO excellent we did not believe
IL wise TO establish milk stations, as
was done In the North. Along these
lines we got fairly good results. In
the fall of 1911, however, I became con-
WINGED that infantilo diarrhea was an
infectious disease, and that measures
G ful- I,f =
this fact. 1t may be only a coinci-
dence that the death rate from infan-
tile diarrhea took such a tumble that
year. and a still further tumble in 1919
but 1t certainly appears to be moro than
this II subsequent figures continue
low. the correctness of this theory VIII
be proved II so. we Will have tho
credit Of having been the first to real
lie the Importance OF this measure-a
measure which will save countless
lives.
Lower Tuberculosis Rate.
Especially gratifying is tho lower
ing OF tho death rate from tubercuio-
sis. There were PA deaths from con
in 1913, and tNirty-eight
deaths from other forms of tuberculo-
sis. giving rate OF 1921 per 100000
from consumption and 1900 from all
FORMS OF tuberculosis. This Is by far
the lowest rate ever recorded for our
city, the lowest previous figures being
1913 and 224.s, respectively. in 1908.
The effect Of Pine Camp must be con-
sidered in this connection, not only In
the number OF lives which this institu-
ton has probably saved, but also be-
cause the Richmond people who die
there are not included in our figures.
his they would be il they died In tho
city. have not yet had time to givo
accurate figures In this connection"