The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-30
DEATH RATE HIGH.
Negroes in S. G. Losing Ground.
Study of Statistics.

oSuuJ VI
Columbia, March 26.-Not only is
the annual death rate for negroes in
South Carolina larger than for white
people but the annual birth rate. is
smaller, according to figures COM
pleted yesterday by the bureau of vi
tai statistics. The death rates, based
on returns for 1915, are: For
whites, 1876; for negroes, ia. The
birth rates are: For whites, 29.1:
for negroes, 26.7. One hundred and
thirty-nine homicides were recorded.
Of the 24,501 deaths occurring
last year in South Carolina, making
an annual death rate per 1000 popu-
lation of 1872, 9,141 were white peo-
pie, 1880 were negroes and 10
were Indians. There were 44,95O
births, distributed as follows: White
males, LOIS; white females, 10,-
1877; negro males, 1910; negro fe-
males, II, ,512. The annual birth
rate for the State is 20.
One section of the report is given
over to consideration of pellagra,
from which there were 1,469 deaths
in South Carolina in 1915. This dis
ease ranks fourth in it's toll, the three
leading ones being: Diseases Of the
circulation, 1850; pulmonary tuber-
culosis, 1891; diseases of the kidney,
1,646. These four causes of death
are responsible for approximately
one-third of the deaths.
Both the number and the percent
age of deaths from pellagra, arrang-
ed by counties, are given, showing
the following results in part:
Charleston with death rate of 208
per 100000; Sumter, 1892; Green
wood, 1926; Chester, 147.3; Green
Vile, 1872; Richland, 1912; Ander-
son 121; Georgetown, 114.4; York,
1904; Florence, 98.S. The remain
der of the counties range lower than
these, the lowest being Clarendon
with a rate of 32.1.
Other causes of death, with their
toll, are: Intestinal diseases, 1906;
pneumonia, 1926; typhoid fever,
553; cancer, 513; dysentery, 502;
malaria, 465; bronchial pneumonia,
800; whooping cough, 2o7; diphtbe-
ria, 10; general accidents, 557; sui
eide, SO; railroad accidents, So.
Infant Mortality High.
Approximately 80 per cent. of the
total number of deaths in 1915 were
of children under five years Of age.
The total arranged by races are:
Whites, 1884; negroes, 4,9S3; In
dians, 5. In each instance the num-
Der of deaths of the males exceeded
that of the corresponding females.
Not considering this one period the
largest number of deaths occurring
in the several succeeding decades fol-
lows: White men, from 60 to 70;
white women, from 80 to 40; ne
gro men and negro women, from 20
to 80.
The largest death rate in South
Carolina is in Richland county, with
rate of 29.S, which is followed
closely by Charleston county with
%. These excessive rates are due
largely to the deaths in hospitals and
to the deaths not accounted for IN
State institutions. Other counties
with high death rates are: George
town, 21; Florence, 20.5; Sumter,
1914; Berkeley, 1871. The lowest
rate, s.S, is found in Saluda county.
Florence countyswon the banner
in the percentage of births, with 44.1,
followed by Horny county with 4l.5,
The next county is Clarendon with
35.3, followed closely by Calhoun,
Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee, Marion,
Orangeburg, Pickens, Sumter and
Williamsburg. Richland county has
birth rate of 1873 and Charleston
county, 23.7. The lowest birth rate
is recorded in Aiken county with
1876.