The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-04
Speeding Up the Death Rate.

, Old fashioned rcviValism has been revived BY
others than Billy Sunday One of the most fash
ionable churches in Washington has, on its walls,
a large poster announcing that one adult death
from alcohol every eight minutes in this
country The pastor of that church is a scholar,
student a traveller, and a preacher whose ser
mons arc instructive as to the progress of the
world it is, we'll regarding the future life
of man. If the pastor should make such an an
nouncement in his sermon, it would be accepted as
a statement based on some careful Investigation.
But flaming poster the walls OF church
means little more to the public than the advertising
posters on dead walls about the city or big signs
along the country road.
The old time preacher often reminded his con-
grcgation that life is Aeeting and sinner died
every second So it might be said today when
more is done to combat disease and death than
in any other age of tho world. We have in the
United States the lowest death rate in the world
with the exception OF Australia and New Zealand,
and it is lower than it has been. but
death is part of the law of tho universe and it
has ceased to be part of cvangelistc work TO
dwell the subject. The interesting part of the
church poster is the particular cause of a death
every eight minutes. The United States Census
Bureau has tried to collect reliable statistics on this
subject for some years, and by cooperating with
the advanced States. it has succeeded in COL
lccting much interesting data from an area which
supports about two-thirds of the population Of the
United States. In this registered area, in 1912,
there were S32,25I deaths which would give more
than 100000 deaths for the whole country if the
death rate outside the registered the
same that in that
These $4,000 deaths were not all adults nor all
from what arc called prcventabIc causes There
= IL, IL
$4,000 of people who had passed the age of IS.
This would leave $4,000 deaths of adults between
the ages of and 65, large number it is true, but
it appears from the statistics that we have
not yet conquered the dread Disease of tubercu-
losis which claimed 10000 victims, nor cancer
which took lives, while organic heart disease
was credited with $4,000, pneumonia 425oo, diar-
rhca $4,000, accidents $4,000, suicide 10000 homi-
eide 1000 and many other diseases and causes,
besides old age claiming its part of the grim har
vest. The result might be figured out in minutes
seconds, to make the situation appear
more CHASTITY, but the disposition has been to show
the improvement and the success in fighting disease
and death by sanitation and better methods of
living we'll by the scientific study of disease.
1t has been left to those who work in the Of
temperance to employ the old method of exaggera-
ton in the harvest OF death.
1t would be cause for serious thought if in
this country under present conditions adult
died every eight minutes from the use of alcohol
Tor that would mean $500 deaths-a year from
alcoholism instead of 3,Is3 given by the NOR
talty statistics for 1912 published by the United
States Census Bureau. An cxaggeration of 1000
per cent in statistics Of this kind may appear OK
cusabic to man like Capt. Hobson, but if the
learned and carefully conservative pastor of this
fashionable church in Washington should become
reckless in his sermon, say in referring to the
Disciples $40 in number instead Of l., some ono
would take notice of his eccentricity. But while
the statements OF historical fact uttered in the pull
pit must be reliable the walls of the church may
be blazoncd with patent untruths and cause little
comment. 1t is question of ethics, perhaps, but
why should not the exterior of the church stand
for truth as does the interior? The church ought
to be a monument 10 truth.