Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-09-11


Rate From Heart Disease Shows No.
ticeabIe Decrease as Compared
With 1e16-Next to Influenza High.
est Death Rate From Epidemic Dis
ease Was Diphtheria.
The census bureaus annual COM
pilation of mortality statistics for the
MISUNDERSTANDING area in continental
United States shows 1,06S,932 deaths
rs having occurred in this area IN
1917, representing rate of Az per
1000 Of population.
OF deaths, nearly one-third were
due to three causes-heart disease,
pneumonia and tuberculosis-and near
" another third resulted from the fol
towing nine causes: Bright's disease
and nephritis, apoplexy, cancer, d1ar'
rhoea and enteritis, arterial diseases
influenza, diabetes, diphtheria ana
bronchitis. The death-registratlon
area of the United States In 1917 com
.prised q states, the district of Co
mmbia and Al cities in non-registra-
ton states. with total estimated pop
nIation of 75.OO0,00O, or about q per
lent of the estimated population of the
United States.
Fewer Die Of Heart Disease.
The deaths from heart disease (or-
canic diseases of the heart and endo-
.ardiits) numbers 1887, 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
heen fluctuations from year to year,
hut I'm general there has been a marked
increase since 1900 the earliest year
Tor which the annual mortality statis-
ties were published, when the rate for
heart disease was only 1881 per 1O0,-
900.
Pneumonia (lnclnding hroncho-pneu-
monia) was responsible for 112,SSl
deaths, or 1903 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-1916. The low
EST recorded rate for pneumonia was
i27 per 100000 in 1914. The mortal
jty from this disease has tiuctuated
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,O47
nese due to tuberculosis of the lungs.
The death rate from all forms of tu-
herculosis was 1864 per 100000. and
from tuberculosis Of the lungs 1853.
The rate from tuberculosis of all forms
declined continuously from 2O0.7 per
lmD,0no in 1904 to 141.6 per 100000
,n 1916 the decreaae amounting to
nearly 30 per cent; bat for 1917 an in
.r.ase Is shown. Until 1912 more
.ttatlS were due to tuberculosis than
~ any other single cause, but in that
scar and during the period 1914 1917
the mortality from tuberculosis was
tess than that from heart diseases. and
In 1917 it fell below that from pneu-
monil also.
Cancer Fatalities Greater.
Cancer and other malignant tumors
.a,l&rd 81 ,452 deaths, of which number
Dab. or 3S | n cent, resulted from
,.ancpr of the stomach and liver. The
ra1e from cancer has risen from 63
ger 100000 in 1900 to Sig In 1917.
Yle increase has not been cOntinu-
,Is. there having been three years
1906 1911 and 1917-which showed
declines as compared with the years
Az lrdiately preceding. The decrease
IL 1917, as compared with 1916, how
t>er, was very slght-from S1.S to
X :. II should be bone In mind that
n. least part of the increase in the
Gt."ti rate from cancer may be appar-
rI. rather than real, being due to q
Z '.Atrr degree of accuracy in diagno-
81 and TO greater care on the part OF
Physicians in making reports TO regis
taalion officials.
Influenza was responsible for 1894
ii ,a,hS or 17.2 per 100000. This rate
IL the highest shown for any epidemic
disease in 1917. but is much lower than
Ehe corresponding one for the preced-
Ing year. 264 per 100000. The influ.
plIza rate, which tluctuates greatly, was
highest in 1901, when it 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 in the proceed.
ing year. when it stood at 14.5 per
10000
Bronchitis caused 1871 deaths, or
1G.% rrr 100000. This rate is lower
than hat for any preceding year ex.
capt iJl6, when it was 100. The pro-
pnltlonal decline from 1900, for which
year ihe bronchitis rate was 45.7, to
1917, amounting to Ga per cent, was
greater than that shown for any other
important cause of death.
Typhoid Fever resulted in 10,112
deaths, or 1874 per 100000. The NOR
fatty rate from this cause also has
shown remarkable reduction since
1900, when it was $50, the proportion.
NJ decrease amounting to CD per cent.
This highly gratifying decline demon
strateS in u striking manner the eff.
c'en'S II improved sanitation and OF
the + Hdern method of prevention-the
use Of the antityphod vaccine.