Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1919-07-18


ease Was Diphtheria.
The census bureaus annual COM
pilation of mortality statistics for the
characterization area I'm continental
United States shows 1,06S,932 deaths
as having occurred in this area In
1917, representing rate of 14.2 per
1000 of population.
OF deaths, nearly one-third were
due TO three causes-heart disease,
pneumonia and tuberculosis-andn near
ly another third resulted from the fol-
lowing nine causes: Bright's disease
and nephritis, apoplexy, cancer, diar-
rhoea and enteritis, arterial diseases,
Influenza, diabetes, diphtheria and
bronchitis. The death-registration
area Of the United States In 1917 COM
prised u states, the district of Co
ton states, with total estimated pop
ulation of 100000, or about 70 per
cent Of the estimated population of the
United States.
Fewer Die of Heart Disease.
The deaths from heart disease Cor
ganic diseases of the heart and endo-
carditis) numbers 1881, or 1882 per
100000 population. The death rate
from this cause shows noticeable de-
crease as compared with 1916, when 1t
was 1894 per 100000. There have
been fluctuations from year to year,
but in general there has been q marked
increase since 1900, the earliest year
for which the annual mortality statis-
tics were published, when the rate for
heart disease was only 1881 per 1O0,-
600.
Pneumonia Qncluding broncho-pneu-
monia) was responsible for 112,SS1
deaths, or 1898 per 100000. This rate,
although much lower than that for
1900 (1S0.5) er for several succeeding
years, is higher than that for any year
during the period 190S-1916. The low
est recorded rate for pneumonia was
127 per 100000 in 1914. The mortal
lty from this disease has fiuctuated
considerably from year to year since
1900, the general tendency having
been downward until 1914 and upward
from 1914 to 1917.
tuberculosis in its various forms
caused 110,2S5 deaths, of which 97,047
were due to tuberculosis of the lungs.
The death rate from all forms of tu-
berculOsis was 1864 per 100000, and
from tuberculosis of the lungs 1888.
The rate from tuberculosis Of all forms
declined continuously from 200.7 per
100000 in 1904 to 141.6 per 100000
in 1915, the decrease amounting to
nearly 30 per cent; but for 1917 an in
crease Is shown. Until 1912 more
deaths were due to tuberculosis than
to any other single cause, but in that
year and during the period 1914-1917
the mortality from tuberculosis was
less than that from heart diseases, and
i'm 1917 1t fell below that from pneu-
mcnia also.
Cancer Fatalities Greater.
Cancer and other malignant tumors
caused 81 ,452 deaths, of which number
%, 413, or 80 per cent, resulted from
cancer of the stomach and liver. The
rate from cancer has risen from 63
per 100000 in 1900 to SIG In 1917.
The increase has not been continu-
Gus, there having been three years
1906, 1911 and 1917-which showed
declines as compared with the years
Immediately preceding. The decrease
in 1917, as compared with 1916, how
ever, was very slight-frOm 81.8 to
S1.6. 1t should be borne in mind that
at least part of the increase In the
death rate from cancer may be appar-
ent rather than real, being due to a
greater degree of accuracy in diagnO-
sis and to greater care on the part OF
physicians In making reports to regis
tration officials.
Influenza was responsible for 1894
deaths, or 172 per 100000. This rate
Is the highest shown for any epidemic
disease In 1917, but is much lower than
the corresponding one for the preced-
ing year, 1884 per 100000. The infiu-
enza rate, which fluctuates greatly, was
highest I'm 1901, when ii stood at 32.2,
than In any subsequent year prior to
the occurrence of the recent epidemic.
Next to that for Influenza, the high
est rate appearing for any epidemic
disease In 1917 was for diptheria, 14.5
per 100000, representing 12,453 deaths.
The rate from this disease was some-
what higher In 1917 than I'm the preced-
ing year, when It stood at 14.5 per
100000.
Bronchitis caused 1891 deaths, or
1853 per 100000. This rate is lower
than that for any preceding year ex-
cept 1916, when 1t was 100. The pro-
portional decline from 1900, for which
year the bronchitis rate was 45.7, to
1917, amounting to "a per cent, was
greater than that shown for any other
important cause of death.
Typhoid Fever resulted in 1918
deaths, or 1874 per 100000. The NOR
tally rate from this cause also has
| shown n rpmo RI n hla reduction sinco