Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-07
DEATH RATE OF
INFANTS HIGH
Infants in Country Districts
Die at an Alarming
Rate.

That is the striking declaration set
forth in 1.-THE Pennant," the official
monthly bulletin issued by the North
Dakota Anti-Tuberculosis association.
of which DR.. j. Grassick of Grand
Forks is editor.
Statistics covering the death rate Of
North Dakota for a year form the
basis for the declaration that infants
under one year Of age in North Da-
kota country districts die at an alarm
ing rate, and that the death rate Of
against soldiers in the world war.
One death out of every 3 IL deaths
In h rural districts, the statement of
vital statistics discloses, is Of an in
FAINT under n year Of age.
The fact that public. health work
has heretofore been largely confined
to the cities, with comparatively little
work In the rural districts, is cited as
the cas- for the poor chance of iv-'
ing afforded the rural infant.
1.-THE condition in North Dakota
would seem to indicate hat a minor
part Of u people are receiving in
efficient public health service, but the
major part exceedingly poor SERVICE"
observes The Pennant.
"In 1917 there were recorded 4,4o6
deaths in the whole state, Of which
996 were of infants under one year of
age. In the same year there were re-
corded in 81 cities Of the state 1872
der n year. This would leave the
country. districts 1884 deaths, of
which 81 were of infants under n
year.. In other words, 28.6 per cent Of
all deaths in the country districts of
our state are Of infants under one
year, or in every 3.5 deaths.
Compare this with the infant death
rate Of the cities of our state and you
are at once struck with the enormous
handicap Of the country infant.
THE prime cause Of this great diff
rate and the city death rate is not
hard to find. Our public health work
has been largely confined to the cities,
while the rural districts have been left
pretty much to take care Of them
selves. The mere pittance that the
state board of health is given is
barely enough to keep it in existence,
leave alone to do any intensive public
health work. Until we car have a
mating existing public health agencies,
with a full time official as chief ex-
cutive and with adequate financial
support, it goes without saying that
nothing else can be expected than an
abnormally high death rate with its
inevitable suffering and loss.
According to the figures quoted
and under existing conditions, the
soldier in the trenches has 16 times
better chance of living n year thar
has a baby born in the country dis
tricts Of North Dakota. If Sherman.
definition Of war was correct, what
about Olir infant mortality? ?"
Fresh Air And Sunshine.
Put a label on whooping cough at
fected individuals and reduce the
tally attending the same.
That is the proposal Of the NORTH
Dakota Anti-Tuberculosis association
set forth in the Pennant.
Advocating this principle, the asso
citation points to the high death rat,
of w%hooping cough, which is SO pc
cent greater in the registration area
of the United States than eithe,
measles or scarlet fever.
With fresh air and sunshine ad
mittedly the most beneficial agencies
in the treatment Of whooping cough
the association bulletin declares i
would be an injustice to confine pa
tients to their homes and deprive tn
patients OF their helpful influence
Likewise, well persons are entitled t.
protection against the unwell.
!, Instead Of putting a label on tn
house and isolating the inmates, VIII,
not label the affected individuals an
allow them to go in the open," sug
gests The Pennant. THE Connect
cut board of health gives the expert
ence Of one city, a summer resort cen
ter, that has for years insisted tina
) a person suffering from this con
tagion wear On the arm a yellow ban
with the words 'Whooping Cough
in large letters. The result
! have beef extremely satisfactory. I
some such method was employed Il
the ordinary course Of preventive pro
3 cedures we might save many youni
: lives from premature death, man
more from needless anxiety and SUI
Z fering, and still more from a lowere
> vitality pr%edisposing to t%uberculosi
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