The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-25
TUBERCULOSIS DEATH
RATE FOR 1917 INCREASED
But the Rate Was Lower Than from
Pneumonia--and Heart Failure--Na-
tons Death Rate Per Thou
sand Was 14.2.

The census bureaus annual compila-
tion of mortality statistics for the death
registration area in continental United
States shows l,06S,932 deaths as having
occurred in that area in 1917, represent
ing rate of l4.2 per 900 of population
OF these deaths, nearly one third were
due to three causes--heart diseases,
pneumonia and tuberculosis nearly
another third resulted from the follow
ing nine causes; Bright's disease and
nephritis, apoplexy, cancer, diarrhea and
enteritis arterial diseases, influenza, dia
betes, diphtheria and bronchitis. The
death registration area of the United
States in 1917 comprised q states, the
District of Columbia, and AZ cities in no.
registration states, with total estimat-
ed population of 100000, or about 10
per cent of the estimated population of
the United States. 1.-THE territory of
Hawaii has recently been added to the
registration area, but the figures given
in this summary relate only to continen-
tai United States.)
The deaths from heart diseases Organ
ic diseases of the heart and endocarditis)
numbered 1881, or 1882 per 100000
population. The death rate from this
cause shows noticeable decrease as
compared with 1916, when it was 1894
per 100000 There have been fuctua
tions from year to year, but in general
there has been marked increase since
1910, the earliest year for which the an.
nual mortality statistics were published,
when the rate for heart diseases was
only 1881 per 100000.
Pneumonia (including broncho-pneu-
monial was responsible for ll2,S2l
deaths, or l40.S per 100000. This rate,
although much lower than that for 1900
(lS0.5 or for several succeeding years,
is higher than that for any year during
the period l90S-l9l6. The lowest record
ed rate for pneumonia was 1T per l00,-
900 in 1914. The mortality from this
disease has fiuctuated considerably from
year to year since 1900, the general tend
ency having been downward until 1914
and upward from 1914 to 1917
tuberculosis in its various forms
caused ll0,2S5 deaths, of which 97,047
were due to tuberculosis of the lungs.
The death rate from all forms Of tuber.
culosis was 1864 per 100000, and from
tuberculosis of the lungs, 1888 The
rate from tuberculosis of all forms de-
clined continuously from 200.7 per l00,-
600 in 1904 to l4l.8 pet 100000 in 1915,
the decrease amounting to nearly 80 per
cent; but for 1917 an increase is shown
Until 1912 more deaths were due TO tu-
berculosis than TO any other single cause,
but in that year and during the period
l9l4.l9l7 the mortality from tuberculo-
IL Lap hat "a
eases, and in 1917 it fell below that from
pneumonia also.
Bright's disease and acute nephritis
caused s0,9l2 deaths, or 1914 per 100000.
The mortality rate from these diseases
has increased from so per 100000 in 1900,
with some fluctuations from year to
year, and since 1914 the increase has
been continuous.
Apoplexy was the cause of 62.43I
deaths, or SEQ per 100000, The rate
from this disease increased gradually,
with occasional slight declines, from
1900 to 1912, and since 1918 the increase
has been continuous,
Cancer and other malignant tumors
caused 6l ASP deaths, of which number
23,4l3, 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 in
crease has not been continuous. there
having been three years-l006, 1911 and
l9l7-whch showed declines as com
pared with the years Immediately pre-.
ceding. The decrease in 1917 as com.
pared with 1916, however, was very
slight-from SIS to SIG. 1t should be
borne in mind that at least part of
the increase in the death rate from can
Ger may be apparent rather than real.
being due to a greater degree of accur-
acy in diagnosis and to greater care on
the part Of physicians in making reports
to registration officials.
Diarrhea and enteritis caused 5g.504
deaths, or 70 per 100000 The rate from
this cause has fallen somewhat in recent
years, having been 90.2 in 1913, and Is
much lower than the corresponding rate
for 1900 which was 1882. More than
four fifths OF the total deaths charged
to these causes in 1917 were of infants
under two years of age.
Arterial diseases of various kinds
atheroma, aneurism, etc--resulted in
l9,O55 deaths, or 25.3 per 100000 The
rate iIom bnese causes increased cOntln-
uously from 6l in 1900 to 25.6 in 1912.
since which year it has huctuated some
what without showing any pronounced
change.
Influenza was responsible for 1894
deaths, or liz per 100000 This rate is
the highest shown Tor any epidemic
disease in 1917, but is much lower than
the corresponding one for the preceding
year, 26.4 per 100000. The influenza
rate, which iuctuates greatly, was high.
er in 1901, when it stood at 32.2, than
in any subsequent year prior to the oc-
currenee of the recent epidemic.
Deaths from diabetes numbered 1880.
or 1879 per 100000. The rate from this
disease, although slightly lower than in
1916, has risen almost continuously since
1900, when it was or.
Next to that for influenza, the highest
rate appearing for any epidemic disease
in 1917 was for diphtheria, 1875 per ioO,-
600, representing 1858 deaths. The rate
from this disease was somewhat higher
in 1917 than in the preceding year, when
it stood at l4.5 per 100000.
Bronchitis caused 1871 deaths, or 1853