The Mankato free press., 1916-11-17
The Department at Washington
Gives Out Figures
ALL KIND OF TROUBLES
Heart Disease, ApopIexy, Ty-
phoid Fever; Accidents and
Safety First
Especial to The Free Press.1
From MONDAYS Daily.


From Mondays Daily.
Washington, ID. c., November 11.-Ac-
cording to preliminary announcement
with reference to mortality in 1918, IS
sued by Director Sam L. Rogers OF the
bureau of the census. nearly one third
of the 909.155 deaths reported for that
year in the registration area" which
contained approximately 81 per cent of
the population of the entire United
States, were due. to three causes-heart
diseases, tuberculosis, and pneumonia
and nearly two-thirds were charged to
twelve cause.-the three just named, to-
gether with Bright's disease and ne
phritiS, cancer, apopleXy, diarrhoea and
enteritis, arterial diseases, diabetes, in
fiuenza, diphtheria and typhoid fever.
The deaths from heart diseases Cor
ganie diseases of the heart and endocar-
dtis) in the registration area in 1915
numbered 105,20o, or 1862 per 100000
population. The death rate from this
cause shows a marked increase as COM
pared with 1900 when it was only 1881
per 100000. The increase has not been
continuous. the rate having huctuated
from year TO year.
tuberculosis in its various forms
claimed 9S, 1914 victims in 1915, of whom
5,99S died from tuberculosis of the lungs.
The progress made in the prevention OF
this dreaded malady during recent years
has been most gratifying. In only a
1915, the death rate from tuberculosis
in all its forms fell from 2007 to 1858
per 100000. the decline being continuous
from year to year. This is drop of
more than 25 per cent. Before 1904 the
rate had f1ucNlated, starting at 201.9 in
1900. Even yet, however, tuberculosis
has the unenviable distinction of caus-
ing more deaths annually than any other
form of bodily illness except heart dis
eases. and about 46 per cent more than
all external causes-accidents, homicides,
and suicides-combined.
Pneumonia Cincluding bronchopneu-
rOnia1 was rpSDOnSible for 50 326 deaths
in the registration area in 1915, or 1927
per 100000 This rate. although lower
than for most of the years from 1900 to
1911, inclusive. is higher than for 1912.
1913, and 1914. The rate for 1914, 127
per 100000. was the lowest on record.
The death rate from this disease, like
marked decline since 1900, when it was
1905 per 100000. It's fluctuations from
year to year. however, have been pro-
nounced, whereas the decline in the
tuberculosis rate has been nearly con-
tinuous.
The only remaining death rate higher
than 100 per 100000 in 1915 was that for
Bright's disease and acute nephritis
to these maladies in 1915 was 70,5OO; of
this number, 64,4SO were caused by
Brights disease and 6,020 by acute ne
phritis. The mortality rate from these
in 1900 to 1884 in 1905, 1uctuated more
or less between 1905 and 1912, and has
shown little change since the last men,
toned year.
Next in order of deadliness come can
Ger and other malignant tumors, which
caused 54,5S4 deaths in 1915. OF these.
2l,221, or nearly SO per cent, resulted
from cancers of the stomach and liver.
The death rate from cancer has risen
from So per 100000 in 1900 to S1.1 in
1915. The increase has been almost con-
tinuous, there having been but two
years. 1906 and 1911, which showed a
decline as compared with the years inn
mediately preceding. 1t is possible that
at least part of this increase is due
to more. correct diagnoses and greater
care on the part of physicians in making
reports to registration officials.
Apoplexy was the. cause of 1897
deaths. or 1913 per 100000. The rave
", with occasional slight declines, since
1900, when it stood at 67.5.
Diarrhoe and enteritis caused 48,325
deaths in 1915, or III per 100000 This
recent years, having been 9o.2 in 1913
and 79.4 in 1914; and has declined very
greatly as compared with the corre-
sponding rate for 1900, which was 1892
of deaths charged to these causes in
1915 were of infants under two years of
age.
Arterial diseases of various kinds
atheroma, aneurism, etc.-caused 1855
deaths in 1915, or 23.3 per 100000 This
rate. although somewhat lower than the
corresponding ones for 1912 and 1913, is
higher than that ,for 1914, and is very
much higher than that for 1900, which
was 6.1
Diabetes was the cause of 11,775 deaths
or 17.5 per 100000. The rate from this
disease has risen almost continuously
from year to year since 1900, when it
was 81 per 100000.
Influenza caused no fewer than 1O.76S
deaths in the registration area in 1916
the rate being 16 per 100000 The rate
from this malady, which fluctuates very
considerably from year to year, was
higher in 1915 than during several years
preceding, but was somewhat lower than
the average between 1901 and 1910
No other epidemic disease produced. a
death rate as high as 16 per 100,OOO in
1915. The fatal cases of diphtheria and
the statistics. but practically all of which
are diphtheria-numbered 1854, or 1877
per 100000 that year, the rate having
fallen from 43.3 in 1900 This decline of
more than so per cent is relatively great
er than that shown by any other import
ant cause of death except typhoid fever
The rate has not fallen continuously
to year.
The mortality rate from, typhoid fever
has shown a most gratifying and re-
markable decline since 1900, having drop
124 in 1916, the decrease amounting to
nearly two-thrds. This decline is great
err: relatively. than that shown for any
olner important cause or death. The to-
tai number of deaths due to typhoid
fever in 1915 was 1882. Improved meth
DDS of sanitation. including the better
p1ent of the water supply and sewerage
systems, the campaign against the fly,
and other preventive measures, have
proved their efficacy in striking man.
ner by a reduction of almost two thirds
In the typhoid death rate during period
covering but decade and a half.
Whooping Cough, Measles and Scarlet
Fever.
The principal epidemic maladies of
childhood-whooping cough. measles, and
scarlet fever-were together responsible
for 11,4S9 deaths of both adults and
children, or Ill per 100 900, in the regis
tration area in 1915, the rates for the
three diseases separately being 81, 5.4,
and 3.6, respectively. In 1913 measles
caused greater mortality than either
Of the other diseases, but in 1914 and
1915. whooping cough had first place. In
every year since and including 1910, as
well as in several preceding years, meas
les has caused a greater number of
deaths than scarlet fever. The mortality
rates for all three of these diseases f1uc-
tuate greatly from year to year. The
rates for measles and scarlet fever in
1915 were the lowest since 1900, while
that for whooping cough was somewhat
above the lowest recorded rate for this
disease, 65 in 1904, although far below
the highest, 1873 in 1908.