The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-05-19
VERMONT A HEALTHY STATE
In Many Respects Statistics Show /
Leads New England.

state board of health, has prepared
an interesting article showing that
| as regards a number Of diseases Yer.
mont has the lowest death rate in
New England. Tie article is as fol
lows
much prominence is being given
to the fact that Vermont in 1913 had
| the highest death-rate from cancer
| of any state in the registration area.
| While it is fitting that we should
take cognizance of this condition and
do everything possible to correct it,,
the idea should not be allowed to
exist that Vermont has similar
reputation in regard to other di
I sesses. Cancer is a disease about
which we know practically nothing
as to the cadse, and the only treat
r,ent is early surgery When the
statistics are shnwn in regard to the
diseases which depend for their pre-
yention up)q safe control and cor
rect medical treatment, it will be
found that Vermont either leads the
whole United States, or is well to
the front For example the same
report which says that Vermont hao
the highest mortality from cancer in
1913 also says in speaking OF typhoid
fever, Vermont had the lowest NOR
tally of any registration state from
this disease in 1918 (7S)' Also: AS
compared with the rates for 1912
there were quite pronounced in
creases in Kentucky, Maryland
Montana, New Hampshire, Nortl
Carolina, Ohio and Utah, while Yer
mont and Wisconsin showed marked
decreases The figures rs repre-
sent the number of deaths per 100,
coo population. Vermont being rs
the other nearby states showed as
follows: New York, 1913; Massa
chusetts. 49, Rhode Iseland, SO,
Connecticut 113; New Hampshire
11.9: Maine, 1870.
"ln tuberculosis of the lungs. tht
great white plague notwithstand
ing the fact of our great granite an6
marble industries Vermont make.
an enyiable showing among eastern
states The 1913 death-rate for thii
disease in Vermont was 1873. Com
pairing this with our neighbors
Maine had 962; New Hampshire, 49,
Massachusetts, 1908; Connecticut
1910; Rhode Island, 1894; and New
York, 1859. The death.rate from
tuberculosis has steadily decreased
in Vermont, so that in 1913 there
were only 1903 deaths, compared with
725 deaths in 1888 The figures for
the year 1914 Will show that there
was a still further decrease, there
being that year only $50 deaths
This is due to our methods of con
troll, prevention and treatment
"Diphtheria, another disease for
merly dreaded, has been almost con
quered in Vermont by methods Of |
quarantine and state distribution o. |
antitoXin and among the eastern |
states Vermont leads by very large
margin in this respect The figure |
of death-rates per 100000 population
show this effectively: Vermont 81
Maine 116; New Hampshire 1928;
Massachusetts 176; Connecticut 1871 |
New York 1875; Rhode Island 24.3.
Pneumonia, about which we are
just beginning to learn, is under bet |
ter control in Vermont than in any |
other nearby state, as the following |
figures OF death-rates show: Yer |
mont, 400; Maine, 1853; New |
Hampshire, 146.S; Rhode Island |
146.S; Connecticut, 1514 Massachu
setts, 154,S; New York, 1714. IT
this disease New York had the high |
est death-rate of any state in the reg
istration area, with Massachusetts
second.
''In the matter of infant mortality |
as shown by the statistics our rating |
is equally creditable With the higl |
est death-rate in Pennsylvania
1868 per 100000 population. ant
Maryland second at 1O11, Vernon
shows rate of 49.2, with Maine 61.s |
New York, TAG; Connecticut, $50
Rhode Island S37: Massachusetts
86.7; New Hampshire, 96.2. Thu
Our babies are being saved for futur,
useful lives.
Even in such diseases of adul
life, as Bright's disease, we have NJ
reason to think that lives are bein,
sacrificed unnecessarily, for we fine
that the highest death-rate for thir
disease was in Maryland 140.1, am
we and our neighbor states haC
the following rates. Massachusetts,
900: Maine, 1929; Connecticut
1920; Vermont, 1856; New Hamp
shire. 1883; Rhode Island, 1893;
New York, 1S4.7
Zone of the points which must be
taken in consideration is the number
of deaths occurring from unknown
causes, that is cases in which no
was made by the physician
Many such deaths would be included
among other diseases il the facts
were known 1t speaks well then for
the medical profession of Vermont
that there were in 1913 only 81
deaths per 100000 population put
down as due to 'ill-defned or I'M
known causes New York leads the
east on this item with Is, but the
the other states show as follows: