Milford chronicle., 1920-01-16
MANY AVOIDABLE AC-
CIDENTS IN DELAWARE
SAFETY FIRST" CAMPAIGN SHOULD
LOWER DELAWARE'S DEATH ROLL.

SAAhA nAuN DilOULl
LOWER DELAWARE'S DEATH ROLL.
During the term 1918 there were 27l
deaths in Delaware from what ar,
officially termed deaths due to ex
ternal causes" and during the frs
nine months of 1919 there were Is:
such deaths. These deaths include
suicides, homicides and all deaths due
to accidents of every kind. This tre-
mendous loss of life is appalling, con-
stlutlng as it does in the City of Viii
mlngton about one and One-half deaths
per 1000 of population per annum. If
tnese deaths could be prevented the
death rate of the city of Wilmington
would drop at least nine per cent.
[ 1t is apparent that there is a large
Reld OF activity for the Delaware Safe
TX council, for the accidents that re-
SUN IN death are only a small fraction
OF 0he total accidents that result in
entire or partial disability, with the
resulting loss to the State of produc-
tive foFces. The State Board of Health
welcomes the assistance of this organ
ization in reducing the accident and
death rate of the State and urges
every citizen to comply with any pre-
ventgve suggestions that may be made
by~that body
A few Of the deaths listed as due
due to accidental causes may have been
either murder or suicide as on some
of the certificates the cause of the
injury was not clearly set forth. Like
wise, some of the deaths due to "frac-
lures" may have, been due to automo-
bile accidents. Beginning with last
October, however, : it is expected that
the cause of every death will be set
forth with sufficient accuracy so that
1t may be properly tabulated
The total number of suicides during
the year 1918 was % and during the
first nine months of 1919 the number
was II. This gives a rate consider
ably lower for the country as a whole,
which is 1917, the last year for which
figures are available, was over 13 per
100000 of population.
The number of homicides during I
1913 was 6, but during the first nine |
months of 1918 the number jumped to |
15. There were no homicides in Sus- /
sex county and there was only one in |
Kent county during the entire 81 J
months. The rate for the United |
States during 1917 was &c per 100000
of population, which is considerably
lower than the Delaware rate for the
present year. The favOrite method of
murder as well as of suicide was by
the use of firearms.
The number of deaths due to acci-
dents was 24S during 1918 and 126 dur
ing the first nine months of 1919. For
the country as a whole the rate was
S72 per 100000 of population during
1917, which was considerably lower
than the Delaware rate for the year ;
1918. The rate for the City of Will
was excessive in each year.
We might truthfully say, however, /
that any rate was excessive, as the !
exercise of proper care would prevent
practically all of these deaths.
The chief causes of accident deaths
during 1918 were as follows, with the [
information as to whether the rate {
was higher or lower than for the t
country at large during 1917: Burns, q
a. higher; gas asphyxiation, 16, high
er; accidental drowning, 10, higher; i
injury by firearms, 16, higher; trau f
matism by fall, 80, same; injury by t
6, same; railroad accidents, I
30, higher; street car accidents, 6, a
same; automobile accidents, 27, high t
er; fractures, IL, higher. In almost l
every instance the rate was higher in 9
than in the remainder of S
he State. a
During the nine months of 1919 the
'ates from burns and from drowning D
we're higher than in 1918 but the rates I
rom the other causes were lower. c
A F1,. fn1 4 he IN .
shows that the greatest a
lumber of deaths occurred during No
-ember, December and January and s.
he smallest number during June and o
uly. Two thirds of the deaths from Y
as asphyXiatiOn occurred during the a
rst three months of the year; the ma tt
Ority of the drowning occurred in the C,
ummer months; the accidents from
rearms usually occurred during the tC
ummer and fall; there were very few a
eaths due to falls during the summer pi
lonths railroad accidents seemed to
how no monthly preference; and
eaths from automobile accidents oc-
ured with alarming frequency
the year.
In considering this large number OF
eaths from accidental causes it must Y
e borne in mind that these deaths
re for the most part of strong, vigor- Y,
US persons, many Of them healthy
hildren. and the loss to the State is "
luch greater than the loss of any
1ual number of persons who are suf- Bl
ring from some chronic disease for
hich there is no cure. A campaign
, education regarding accident pre- "
ention should therefore be given the
lme serious consideration as a cam
lign of education regarding disease Al
and if this high toll from
,cidents cannot be materially low YC
ed by education, then those respon-
Bile for these deaths must be dealt
ith so severely that their example
i'll serve as a warning to others that Bu
&C lie Of ii0 PSfrSSc:::. can he placed in
opardy with impunity.