The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1920-02-07
COLORED DEATH RATE IN KAN
SAS CITY DOUBLE WHITES.
There Is a Cause.


The stable foundation upon which
our government rests is health and
work. Our national security rests
wholly upon these; for the weakening
of either would greatly impair, if not
destroy, our national life.
Recent investigation, contingent
upon preparation for war, established
the fact that diseases of various kinds
are making inroads upon the health
of our citizenship. 1t should be the
aim and purpose of each of US to
change this condition and bequeath
to those who are coming after us a
nation whose life is as free from
disease germs as it is possible for it
to be with present day scientific re-
search and appliance.
To accomplish this, there must be
a general awakening upon the part
of the citizenship of each communi-
ty, in the illumination, as far as pos
sible, all kinds of diseases. Sanitary
conditions must be improved upon
both within and without the homes
of the masses of the people. The
church, the school, the lodges, clubs
and other groups of people must set
themselves to the task of the preach
ment that will insure better health
conditions.
This will necessitate for the pres
ent an expenditure greater than has
been made for this work heretofore.
De- ,,b,, ec;apt;6can,r opp1iad will
not, by half, come up to the expendi-
lures made in the loss of time, due
to illness, the cost of physician and
medicine and other expenditures
caused by illness.
This is a direct appeal to u peo-
pie, for the reason that the demand
for such work is greater among us.
Our palatial homes, well construct
ed church buildings and other SINH
lar enterprises, demonstrate the fact
that we, as individuals and organ
lied bodies, know how to do things.
This that we have accomplished re-
duces in a measure the ravages of
disease; but fall very far short in a
general way, due to the condition of
the masses of our people.
Our constructive ability must be
enlarged upon and take in such insti-
buttons as guard the health of our
people, as we'll as such institutions
that protect our spiritual and mem
tai life; for mental genius and spir-
itual growth thrive better in a
healthy body.
"The census bureau (Which, of
course, is the final tabulation) for
1920, shows in Kansas:
Death per 100, 900 population-to-
tai, 1,114.8 with a death rate of our
people more than double that of the
white. 1t also shows that the death
rate in Kansas for our people is
higher than that of the United
States as a whole, while for the
whites it is lower than that of the
United tSates as a whole.
"The increase in deaths per dis
ease of the Colored population yer
the whites is in general; for instance,
the death rate for typhoid fever per
100000 population is:
white, 1877.
white, 1877; Colored, 44.5.
The greatest increase is in tuber-
c~ulosis, which shows the rate to be:
White, Ais; Colored, 1880.
In malignant tumor, the death
rates run fairly close together, al
though the white slightly exceeds the
Colored.
White, Git; Colored, 600.
In diabetes, the whites exceed the
Colored, but in cerebral hemorrhage
the death rate for the Colored popu-
lation jumps high again: White,
1855; Colored, 1868.
Deaths from violence, the rate is:
White, TIC; Colored, 1862.
The only institution in this city de-
signed to serve US for better health
is Douglass Hospital, situated at
312 Washington Boulevard. This in
stitution is woefully deficient and
needs the immediate help of the en-
tire citizenship of this community.
Tho koarJ 80 Jsro.Gon1 - no..I...