Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-24
CUTTING THE DEATH RATE
By H, Addington Bruce

| ~ RATlFYlNG, indeed, are some statistical
! y exhibits recently made by the United
-" States Public Health Service. These give
| by decades and for various ages the death rate
of the general population during the period
1ooo-1e2o, and show that there has been a
steady and accelerating cut in the rate.
| In 1900, it appears the death rate from all
causes in the original registration states was
17.2 per 1000 population. BY 1910 there had
| been decline to 1876 per 1000. The define
continuing, the rate for 1920 was 1879, or cut
of o.3 per cent in the first decade and 1879 per
cent in the second.
| Moreover, as epitomized in the Health Serv-
| ices report on these figures.
| "If we take into consideration the fact that
secondary but severe epidemic of influenza
pneumonia occurred in the early part of 1920 the
indicated decline from 1910 to 1920 is less than
lit would have been had 1920 been normal
| year.
| "In forty-two cities in the United States hav-
| ing population of over 100000 the excess
death rate during the 1920 epidemic from in
| fluenza-pneumonia alone was about t.13 per
1000 If the same excess may be presumed to
have occurred in the original registration states
proximately 1873 per 1000, and the decline
| from 1910 would have been about 18 per cent. "
All ages show death rate cut, though not
constant in both decades
| In the decade foof-f9to the chief declines
were for the ages five to thirty. The decline
| in the rate among children under one was only
8 per cent, as compared with 20 per cent for
older children, adolescents, and young adults.
From 1910 to 1920, on the other hand, there
was a decline of more than 20 per cent in the
| death rate of infants. Also there was strik-
| ing cut in the rate for middle life and old age
The report informs us:
"InStead of insignificant decreases or actual
increases as found in the rate at the ages forty
and over in the period 19ot-191o, the percent
age of decrease in the period 191o-192o was quite
definitely significant Qo-ts per cent? at the
| ages forty, fifty, and sixty, and only became
| insignificant at the ages of seventy and eighty.
| What has brought about these declines?
Partly, no doubt, they are due to progress in
medical knowledge, partly to improved santa
ton in cities and towns and rural districts
partly to stricter enforcement of regulatory
| laws as regards contagious and infectious dis
eases.
| But the chief factor, think it may be set
down as certain, is the influence exercised by
public health education.
| From 1900 onward there has been an incras-
| ing effort, through educational agencies of all
sorts, from the Public Health Service itself to
| the daily newspapers of the country, to impress
on the general population basic principles in
| hygienic living. There has been an insistent
reiteration of facts that should be known by
| all who would keep we'll and live long.
The Health Services mortality statistics re-
veal that this educational campaigning has
borne good fruit. They suggest too, the de-
STABILITY and importance of continuing it and
of extending it by all available means
| For there is good reason to believe that the
death rate-and for all ages-can be cut APP
preciably further in the years that lie ahead.
[ The extent of the cut will depend largely on
the extent to which the public is kept inforn1e
| of life-conserving discoveries and is persuaded
| to make personal application of them.
| To this end, and in order to familiarize each
rising generation with health fundamentals, the
one thing indispensable is health education.
Copyright 1927