Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-14
Americans Live =
Too Hard and "a
Fast, Says Doctor
Chances Of Death After so
Years Ineressing-Infan
Death Rate Lowered,
However.

Columbus. Mo, May .-"Amer'
leans live too hard and too fast. The
chances OF death after 50 years OF lie
are increasing instead OF decreasing.
In the last 70 years the death rate
during the fret iye years OF lie has
been greatly lowered. but Tor the
later years OF lie u has not |, 10
poor economy TO educate and train
business men aud women only 10
lose their services TO the community
and state when they reach middle
lie"
These are some OF the deductions
made by DIR. NJ. L. Rayenel. proies-
sor OF preventive medicine. in charge
OF the public health service labora-
tories at the school OF medicine OF
the University OF Missouri. The bu-
reau oi the census has recently sent
advanced information on new life ia
bles. which are soon 10 be issued.
This will be the second official pub
lieaiion on lie tables ever issued in
the United States and figures are
now available Tor the last 20 years.
People are interested In health
largely because they are afraid TO
die" DR.. Raverel, who is also presi.
dent OF the National American Pub
lie Health association. continued.
"Thc true motive for health should
be efficiency and not the mere pro-
longa,ion OF life.
Average Increases.
"Thc results obtained by our GEN.
sus bureau show that the death rate
At practically all ages is higher for
men than for women, and the women
showing the lowest death rate are
those living in rural communities.
For both sexes rural dwcllcrs show
a lower death rate. age for age. than
for persons living in cities.
while the average span OF life has
increased for both sexes. there is no
evidence that there has been any ac-
tual increase in the years OF life.
This is explained by the fact that
practically all classes OF people are
living longer on the average. and the
greatest cansc of this average IN
crease is the saving Of life in the first
FIVE years.
"In 1909 a white female was enti-
tied to expect three years longer life
than white males. and in 1910 this
had increased to three and one-half
years. Except for negroes, there
has been general improvement for
all classes up to the age of 40 for
men and 50 for women.
Decided Improvement.
There has been a decided I'M
provement among all classes of pop.
ulation in the infant death rate.
Again, we find that children born in
the country show 4 considerably
lower death rate than those born in
the city. However, it is not as great
as it was in 1901, which indicates that
the widespread efforts which have
been put forth to better conditions
in our cities have met with success.
Comparing ourselves with the fol-
lowing foreign countries, Australia,
Denmark, England, France, Ger
many, Holland, India, Italy. Japan,
Norway, Sweden and Switzerland,
we find that, except for France. In
dia and Japan, our expectation of life
both for men and women is less IA
vorable than in any of the foreign
countries mentioned.
Lives Too Hard.
"In Norway, for example, which
shows the lowest annual death rate
for the first year of life, for every
1000 the rate is 81 deaths for males
and 81 deaths for females, while for
the corresponding class in this coun-
try the rate is l27 for males and los
for females. The most striking thing
about these figures is the great Inn
provement in our death rate during
the early years of life and the lack
OF improvement after so years of age
in fact, after so the conditions in
regard to certain diseases have be-
come worse instead of better.
THE American lives too hard and
too fast. 1t is poor economy to ed
ucate and train business men and
women only to lose their services to
the community and state just about
middle life, when they should be at
their best.
This is the problem which con-
fronts physicians and sanitarians at
the present day and one which de-
mands the closest consideration not
only from professional persons. but
from the community at large"