The New York herald., 1922-07-30
ACCIDENTAL DEATHS
CUT 400 IN 5 YEARS
City's Records Show 3,483 Fa-
talities, Many Prevent !.
able in 1921.
DANGER IN AFTERNOON
Victims of Gas Poisoning Few
er Because of Increased
Use of Electricity.
DANGER IN AFTERNOON

Figures compiled by the Department
OF Health and made public yesterday
by DR.. Frank j. Monaghan. Acting
rs per cent of the deaths from acci
dents in this city are among males and
persons oe advanced ages. There were
3.4S3 persons killed last year in acci-
dents. of which great proportion
could have been prevented. Despite the
large number. however. there has been
a decrease Of 400 deaths in the last
three years. which the Health Depart
ment attributes to education and SINH
lar methods.
The report says that 2.49s males as
compared with 9s7 females were killed
In accidents III 1921, and continues:
Persons at the extremes of ..fe suf-
fer most heavily from accidents-in
other words. those least able to take
care of themselves
The most important cause Of acci-
dental death from a numerical stand
point Is the automobile. During 1921
S49 persons were killed in this city as
the result Of automobile accidents. This
is equivalent to a ratio Of almost fifteen
per hundred thousand of the popula-
tion and represents net increase of
one per hundred thousand since 1919.
An interesting fact was disclosed by
chart prepared some time ago by the
Department of Health, which showed
that the greatest number of fatalities
from street accidents occurred between
o'clock in the afternoon and in the
evening; in other words. when the chill
dren are using the streets for play and
when the streets were most congested
because of persons returning home from
business. shopping. &C.
I'm commenting on the increase of
the number of fatal street accidents we
must not lose sight of the fact that II
has not kept pace with the increase In
the number of vehicles using the streets
IF the same ratio between accidents
and vehicles obtained to-day as in pre-
vious years the fatalities would be many
times greater, so that In reality big
saving of life has been effected through
the regulation Of traffic and the closing
Of streets for play during certain hours
of the day
A total Of 6S4 persons were killed by
falls during the year. OF the falls 1O3
were from buildings and from scaffolds,
and thirty-eight were from fire escapes
and windows. About third of the
deaths were among children under s.
The department declares these deaths
indicate a negligence that called for
campaign of education among parents so
they will not permit young children to
go out on the fire escapes or lean out
the windows.
Deaths from burns and scalds tabu-
lated by the department indicate that
under years boys suffer most and that
between 5 and IA years girls are the
greatest sufferers
There has been gradual decrease of
| accidental deaths from gas poisoning
during the last year. which the depart
ment attributes to the more extensive
use Of electricity.
TRENTON, July ga decided de-
crease In deaths In New Jersey in June
as compared to May was shown in the
monthly mortality report issued to-day
by the Bureau Of Vital Statistics of the
State Department of Health. The de-
crease totaled $40. and was distributed
through all of the disease groups with
the single exception of infanti!e diar-
rhoea. Decreases were most pronounced
in diseases of communicable nature.
In June there were 2,S39 deaths re-
ported In the State. Included in this
number were 81 non-residents leaving
a total Of 2.74S resident deaths for the
month. There were 3s8 deaths among
children under one year of age, 173 OF
children over one year, and 964 among
persons aged 80 or over.
In June. seven residents Of New York
died in New Jersey. There were 33 sui
cides, which was the average Of the
twelve previous months.