The New York herald., 1920-01-29

a nurse they call up as many as dozen
registries. as well as the Health Depart
ment, with the result that several nurses
are sent to the address, thus taking up
the services of the unnecessary nurses
that might better be te1Owed on other
patients.
"Out OF consideration for other suffer-
ers. persons who obtain nurses should i'm
mediatey call up the Health Department
to have their request to us cancelled"
The Health Department received statis-
tics yesterday from DIR. William ii. Gull
foy. of the Bureau of Records. and DR..
Louis I. Harris, of the Bureau of Pre-
ventable Diseases. showing 4 comparison
Of the mortality Of age groups in the
visitation of this year and that OF 1918.
Mortality by Groups.
THE age grouping, as shown in the
mortality of the first week Of the present
epidemic. does not coincide exactly with
the age grouping effect in the pam
epidemic of the year 1915" said DR.. Cope
land.
''The group most affected in the cpl
demic of 1918 was the group of age from
ltwentv-five TO forty-five, a the beginning
of which this group represented forty
two per cent of the mortality and Pradu-
ally rose to fifty-siX per cont, and in the
present epidemic this group still maintains
the highest mortality. the percentage last
week being thirty per cent of all deaths
from Influenza and the pneumonias COM
bined
I'm the epidemic of 1918 the age group
fifteen to twenty-five years represented
at the commencement OF the epidemic
twenty-five per cent of all deaths from
Influenza and pneumonia combined and
gradually decreased as the epidemic pro-
gressed to fifteen per cent.
1.-THE age group under five years Of age
H.. ~
lcentage of fourteen and gradually rose to
a percentage OF twenty-one. During the
present epidemic this age group started
very much higher. with a percentage Of
twenty-sx. 1t is likely that the prevailing
epidemic of measles has affected this age
group considerably and increased the NOR
talty from the pneumonias among infants.
The age group forty-five to y-five
remained fairly low at the beginning III
the epidemic Of 1918 with a percentage of
twelve, ending with n percentage of
eleven. During the last week this age
group represented seventeen per cent, a
much higher rate than in the epidemic of
1918
"At sixty-five years and over the per-
centage of mortality in the epidemic Of
1918 was considerably below the normal
and was so maintained during the entire
epidemic. the percentage at the beginning
| of the epidemic being q little over three
per cent and it maintained that for at least
eight consecutive weeks. when 1t rose tc
seven per cent. During the present cpl
demic however, there has been very
much increased mortality in this age
group as during the last week the per-
cen.age of mortality was thirteen, as com
pared with a normal of three per cent dur
ing the epidemic of 1918.
THE last age group to be considered
five to fifteen, maintained fairly norma
cA Vay,fn saIi
lper cent during the epidemic of 1918. n
the present epidemic it was five per cent
so that, apparently. so far as we are able
to Judge at the present time, the schoo
lchildren are not affected such being rho
same condition during the epidemic OF
l191S"
Want Drug Stores Opened Earlier.
The Health Commissioner also said he
had received many complaints that drug
llishments sufficiently early each day. lie
said druggists should endeavor to alleviate
suffering. especially during the epidemic
by keeping their establishments open AS
many hours as possible.
/ He said officials of the Health Depart.
ment In tho course of the day took charge
OF three babies because of tho illness Of
their mothers from influenza. The oldest
was one month old and the youngest two
days old. They We're sent to the Fisher
Tnfantorium. No. 500 East Seventy
street
The Health Commissioner declared that