Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-08-08

tleeabIe Decrease as Compared
With 1o1e-Next TO Influenza High.
est Death Rate From Epidemic pis.
ease Was DiphtherIa.
The census bureaus annual CON.
pllhtlon Of mortality statistics for tlie
1cath.registrntion area In continental
United States shows 1.06s,g32 deaths
Ms having occurred IN tbIs area in
1917, representing rate OF 14.2 per
1000 Of population.
OF deaths nearly one-thlrd were
due 10 three causc1-hcnrt disease,
pneumonia and tuberculosls--and near
~ another third resulted from The fol.
lowing nine causes: Bright's disease
and Dephrltls. apoplexy. cancer, dIar-
rhoea and cnterItis, arterial diseases.
Influenza. diabetes. diphtherla and
bronchitis. The death-reglstratlon
area OF the United States In 1917 com.
nrlsed p states. the district OF Co
umbia and AZ cities In nOn-reglstra-
tlon states. with total estimated pop
nlatlon Of 75.O00.000. or about 73 per
cent Of the estimated population OF the
United States.
Fewer Die OF Heart Disease.
The deaths from heart disease Tor
ganlc diseases OF the heart and endo-
carditls) numbers l15.337. or 1882 per
100000 population. The death rate
from this cause shows noticeable de-
crease as compared with 1915. when II
was 1894 per 100000. There have
been fluctuations from year TO year,
hut In general there has been marked
increase since 1900. the earliest year
for which the annual mortality statis-
ties were published. when the rate for
heart disease was only 1871 per l00.-
900.
Pneumopla (lnciuding broncho- -pneu.
monla) was responsible for 112,SS1
deaths, or 149.S per 100000. This rate.
although much lower than that for
1900 GS0.5) or for several succeeding
years, Is higher than that for any year
during the period 190s,l9l6. The low
est recorded rate for pneumonia was
l27 per 100000 In 1914. The mortal
liy from this disease has huctuated
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 ll02S5 deaths, Of which 97,047
were due TO tuberculosis of the lungs.
The death rate from all forms Of tu-
herculOsls was ItJ.I per 100000, and
from tuberculosis Of the lungs 1889.
, The rate from tuberculosis Of all forms
declined continuously from 200.7 per
100000 in 1904 to lil.6 per 100000
In 1916. the decrease amounting to
nearly 30 per cent; hut for 1917 an in
crease Is shown. Until 1912 more
deaths were due In tuberculosis than
10 any other single cause. hut in that
' wear and during the period l914-19l7
. the mortality from tuberculosis was
less than that from heart diseases, and
lin 1917 It fell below that from pneu-
monia also.
Cancer Fatalities Greater.
Cancer and other malignant tumors
ransed 81, ,452 deaths, Of which number
,3.413. or 3S per cent resulted from
ranccr of the stomach and liver. The
raie from cancer has risen from 63
per 100000 In 1900 to Sl.6 In 1917.
The Increase has not been eontinu-
nus, there having been three years
1906. 1911 and l9i7--whieh showed
declines as compared with the years
!. immediately preceding. The decrease
4 In 1917, as compared with 1916. how
eyer. was very slght-frOm SIS to
SIG. II should he borne In mind that
:. nj least part of the increase In the
death rate from cancer may be appar-
ent rather than real, being due to n
greater degree of accuracy In diagno-
sis and to greater care on the part OF
j physicians In making reports to regis
tration officials.
Influenza was responsible for 1874
deaths. or 17,2 per 100000. This rate
Is the highest shown for any epidemic
disease In 1917, hut is much lower than
the corresponding one for the preced-
ing year, 28.4 per 100000. The influ'
. enza rate, which fluctuates greatly, was
highest In 1901, when 1t stood at 3D.,
: 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, l4.5
per 100000, representing 12,453 deaths
The rate from this disease was some
what higher In 1917 than In the preced'
ing year, when 1t stood at 145 pei
100000.
Bronchitis caused 1871 deaths, OF
1913 per 100000. This rate is lower
than that for any preceding year ex.
cept 1916. when 1t was 18.0. The pro
portlonal decline from 1000, 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.
A.I To-. IN 1I1