The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-08-07
FIGURES OUT THE CHANCES
THAT YOU HAVE OF LIVING

What chance Of life has your baby?
How long may you hope to live?
Ask Uncle Sam.
III fair haired little Elizabeth, who
laughs merrily as she makes brave
efforts to walk upon her sturdy eleven
months old legs, reaches her first birth
day without mishap-provided she Is
u city baby-she may hope to live TO be
more than tifty-seven years old.
But II Elizabeth's parents join that
forlorn army of bereaved fathers and
mothers, they may know that their
baby's fate Is hat of four or five other
tots per thousand of the same age i'm
the city.
If Henry's parents live In "A rural
community he may expect to live long
err than If he were n city boy. For If
he reaches his second birthday he may
hope to live TO be approximately sixty
two years old, while but about twenty
country boys per thousand die between
their first and second years.
Ellzabeth's cousin Sarah, provided
she is the same age, but lives in the
country. may hope TO live to be sixty
two years old if she reaches one year
OF age, while the chances Of her not
reaching her first birthday are less
than three per thousand.
But Henry's city cousin Richard, OF
the same age. car hope to live ON an
average of but ffty-four years if he
lives to be two, while the chances of
his not reaching his second birthday
are thirty-three per thousand.
This is n fair example OF what Uncle
Sam might tell you.
This is not the testimonial Of n for
tune teller" 1t Is a simple statement
OF facts based upon carefully gathered
statistics. scientifically computed under
the supervision OF one Of the foremost
experts on the subject In the United
States.
In other words, the bureau of the
census, department of commerce. has
Just issued a set OF life tables, a gov.
eminent publication not only unique In
the annals OF this country's official doe
uments, but n which promises to
have ~farreaching results.
In short, the census bureau has com.
piled a series of tables from which ii il
possible to determine the rate of NOR
tality per thousand for any one of sew
eral classified groups during each year
OF life and TO ascertain for those sur
viving each age interval the average
number of years Of life yet remaining.
A study OF these tables shows many
general facts of unusual interest:
Infant mortality is still high despite
the efforts Of medical science to ar
rest 1t.
The country baby has n far better
chance of life than the city baby.
Girl infants show a smaller rate of
mortality In their first year than do
male infants.
The life Of the average female Is
longer than that of the average male
by approximately three years.
With but few exceptions the rate
of mortality is lower among native
born whites than among foreign born
whites.
Practically all tables show the health.
lest age interval" to be those between
ten and eleven and eleven and twelve
years. the lowest rate of mortality be.
Ing reached for both males and fe-
males at these ages.
Tables dealing with the negro popu
lation show that the rate of mortality
among them is far greater than among
whites and the expectation OF life
much shorter.
Great as is the death rate among
white infants, that among negro in
fants is fully double.
or all classes shown, that OF white
females In rural communities shows
the lowest rate Of mortality If consid
apaI for tha ap4fra parfnl ~ t{fa