Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-04-30

Startling vital statistics relating q
the condition Of public health in
Brownsville have been collected by
students of the civics class under the
direction of their teacher, Mrs. Dick
ems, at the high school.
The most important revelation OF
the study is that more than half
the number of babies of under one
year of age reported as born in thu
city died last year. IL this
fact is confirmed, il reveals one OF
the highest death rates in the United
States and more than double that of
any American city, as shown by NOR
tality records for the year 1919.
There is, however, a redeeming
factor in the matter, inasmuch as the
chief source of information was in
public records. While practically
every death was reported, 1t is prob
able that many births were not am
this would reduce the mortality per
centage.
One study, made BY James A. Rus
sell ana Miles r.. Hilton of the class,
shows that the ratio of the deaths IN
cases cf bercu:csls H. the city foI
sae year was so to 1000, while the
i-a6n rat, for .thcr pnncipal forms
Of disease was only 81 in 1000.
Clarence Celaya made a study of
the total deaths in the city for the
year 1920 as taken from the records
at the city hall. These records give the
names of the deceased, burial places
and the phye.e.ans and undertaken
IN each case.
The total number Of deaths in. the
city for the year. he found was 351,
which gavas<h@kify total death rate
of 31.18 OF n hgery thousand. But
a comparison OF The records for the
first months Of the present year with
the first six months of 1920-show a
marked increase, the total for the
1920 period being 43 from Jan. to
April Is as against 12l, almost three
times the same amount, from Jan.
to April Ia. 1921
tc SLuhN ol tuAciil AtoiAdltA. N1N
made by Aileen ScanIan. Alma Ruste-
borg and Louise Bower. II shows that
l2s births were recorded for the
year, but the Hinkley and GaSza un
dertaking establishment had records
of the death Of Go, or little more
than half.
May and December were the dead
liesi months, with q total of nine
each. October was next, with 81;
March and April each had z; June.
JuIg and August g.; November and
January two each and February only
ore.
Raphael Cowan made a most i'm
teresting study Of birth records IL
the city, which tends TO substantiate
the theory that the death rate would
be greatly lowered if all births were
reported. In his report on the mat
ter, the student says:
''In securing my data, ! used the
city records, the only ones available.
The birth records for the city of
Brownsville are kept in large vol
ume, capable Of holding the rcord
OF many years First | counted the le
gitimate births for 1920. These total
ed 12O. Then / counted the illegiti
mate ones and found these to be onl-
eight. The total number Of birth
according to the city records, is 12s
of which IL were stillborn."
These figures, the student says. re
veal crude birth rate Of ll3 to ia
thousand of population and he con
tinues:
"Affer careful consideration o.
these facts. ! came to the conclusion
that large part Of the births ar
never repored- For only 12s birth
in one year is not an advertisement
for a city Of Browusville's population
SO | consulted local physician, VIII,
gave me some very important infor
nation on the subject.
'.When ! told him | had found onl'