The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-13
DEATH COMES ID
 MANY WHO NEVER
 SAW A BATTLE
Tuberculosis, Preventable Disease, Shown to Be Talk ing Fearful Toll Each
 Year in America
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

Washington, May 12.--(SpeciaL) Since ] the beginning of the world war in Eu- 1 rope, citizens of the United States have ] been comparatively prone to overlook the l fact that death stalks elsewhere than in ! the bloody trenches. And yet, according to figures just made public by the govern 1 ment. in thfee recent years, practically 1 9O0OOO industrial policy holders in a single 1 insurance company died with the United l States.
 The figures are vitally interesting be- cause they indicate that disease which Is proving the most fatal, and those pro fessions which are professions of great est peril to life. The statement of the government follows:
 Based upon 94,269 deaths of male and i02, 467 deaths of female industrial policy holders, 15 years of age and over. as recorded in 1911, 1912 and 1913, by the Met ropolitan Life Insurance company, tuber- culosis caused the death of 20.5 per cent of the former and 14.4 per cent of the lat ter, while organic diseases of the heart were responsible for 12 per cent of the deaths of males and 14S per cent of the
 
 men dying from tuberculosis was 37.1 years and of women 341 years Of males the lowest average age at death, 31.1 years, was among those who died from typhoid fever and of females the lowest average age at death, 29 years, was among those who died at childbirth. By occupation, the lowest average age at death was 36.5 years among bookkeepers and office assistants and the highest av- craze age was 5S.5 years among farmers and farm laborers.
 Tuberculosis was responsible for the largest number of deaths among clerks, bookkeepers and office assistants, 35 per cent; compositors and printers, 34.1 per cent; gas filters and steam filter, 3l6 per cent; longshoremen and stevedores, 29.2 per cent; teamsters, drivers and chauffeurs, 2S.2 per cent: saloonkeepers and bartenders, 26 per cent; machinists, 25 per cent; cigarmakers and tobacco workers. 24.1 per cent; textile mill work CTS, 9 per cent; iron molders. 21.s per cent; painters, paperhangers and varnish- CTS, 219 per cent; masons and bricklayers, 1D per cent; bakers, 1S.S per cent; ,laborers. 16.4 per cent; blacksmiths, 14 per cent. Accidental violence was responsible for the largest number of deaths among rail- way enginemen and trainmen, 42S per cent; railway track and yard workers. POS per cent; and coal miners, 20.4 per cent, while the largest number of farm CTS and farm laborers, 16.4 per cent, died from organic diseases of the heart, due to the fact that the prevalence of these diseases increases with age and that the average age at death of those in this group is higher than any other group.
 Similarly among women the largest number of housewives and housekeepers, l52 per cent, died from organic diseases of the heart for the same reasons stated above, while tuberculosis took the largest proportion of clerks, bookkepers and of flee assistants, 42.4 per cent; clerks and garment workers, 27S per cent, and do- nestle servants, 15.9 per cent The aver age age at death was 26.1 years among clerks, bookkeepers and office assistants, and 533 years among housewives ans housekeepers.
 The statistics given in the bulletin ln- dicate that respiratory diseases are prominent where the industrial worker Is exposed to colds, drafts and dampness Gas among masons and bricklayers) or to violent changes of temperature, as among teamsters. drivers and chauffeurs). Organic diseases of the heart have high proportional frequency in cases where the work is heavy and the cardiac powers are overtaxed e. g.. among iron mol ders). Suicide is frequent where depress- ing influences are present (as among bakers and cigarmakers). Typhoid fever is high where questionable water supplies arc used (as among enginemen and train- men, farmers, iron molders and laborers).