The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-04
OCTOBER, 1921, is BIG MONTH
Death Rate Higher Among
Children Under Four Years.
Cultures of School Children
About Normal for Year.

study of the diphtheria epidemic
in Topeka in the last year, IN comparl-
son with Wichita and kansas Cit4'
Kan, shows that Topeka mas had q
lower death rate tnan these Two
towns. according, to DR.. Earle U.
Brown. city health officer, Who maze
The study. which dates from August
that Topeka had 1000 cases in that
time, with a total of twenty-tour
deaths for that period. This IS an
average of "a per cent fatality
wichita, during that period. Whlch
has a population of 1927. reports COL
cases of diphtheria, with Twenty-Five
deaths or a percentage of 3.S per cent
Thus il will be seen Topeka has a
fatality rate of nearly 1 per cent oeloXv
that of Wichita in the year for which
the study has been made.
Thirteen Die in *. C., X
Kansas City, Kan, has a death rate
from diphtheria of ga per cent a
total of 81 cases were reported Tor
the year beginning August 1, 1Szl anu
ending October IA, 1Sz&s ana OF IndI
number thirteen deaths resulted Inc
population of Kansas City Is 1O1.1if 4
There were more cases reported
during the month OF OCTOBER, ~ - l,
than at any other month during the
wear, according to the compilation
made by DR.. Brown. A total OF 2S1
cases were reported during that
month and two deaths resulted me
highest monthly deara rate for To-
Deka in the year, was IN september
1921, when five deaths occurred from
the disease. The deaths rate of "a
per cent is low, Dr. Brown pointed
out 1t can readily be seen that the
death rate was considerably higher in
other cities than in Topeka for the
wear, for both cities had less cases
reported, but the death rate was
T,I,tId-e,, Most SusccTfibIe
This would indicate that the meas
ures TO combat the disease in Topeka
and prevent deaths, have been good
The study made py DR.. Brown
shows that the disease arrects persons
between the ages of and more
than it does other periods in life.
Three hundred and sevrnry-fOur cases
We're reported between these ages, out
of the 1000 cases for which the check
was made. The next highest number
Of cases was for persons over 20 years
of-age 22O cases over that age being
included in the 1000 cases.
A check on the deaths shows. how
ever, that the death rate is higher
in children below the ages of years.
Fourteen OF the twenty-four deaths
reported were of children under
years of age. This was out of 134
cases below years OF age, or a ia
taIity of nearly 10 per cent The
rext highest death rate was from 5
to 8 years of age, six of the twenty
four deaths being children between
those ages. A total of 374 of the
1000 cases were persons between
and years of age, So IL readily can
be seen that the per cent of fatality
in this case would be approximately
1.6 per cent. Only one death oc-
CURED out of the 22O cases over 20
years of age which would be a low IA
tality rate. Two of the II cases be-
tween 5 and 10 years proved fatal,
and one of the 1875 cases between 10
deaths were reported of children
under 1 year of age This is eX-
planned by DR.. Brown by the fact that
children under a year old have a
resisting power inherited from the
mother which begins to wane after
one year. Resisting power continues to
become less among children after one
year of age until about the adult
stage, when resistance increases.
Many Adults Have 1t.
Twenty-four and eight-tenths of the
cases reported were OF persons over
Is years of age, or of the adult stage.
which DIR. Brown declared is high. In
diphthersa by years, the death rate is
higher than in other years. Out of
7S6 cases reported in 1921, fourteen
proved fatal. or 1-76 per cent In 1890
rome OF the fifty-three cases proved
fatal. In 1919. the death rate was
4.6 per cent, and in 1918, it was ap-
proximately 10 per cent
In the fall of 1922. cultures taken
of children in the schools numbered
669. and of that number fourteen were
positive. or nearly 2 per cent, which
is low. DR.. Brown declared. In 1921,
2.745 cultures were taken in the
schools. and 1872 positive cases were
reported. or a percentage of As per
cent. This about the normal number
of cases found in the schools at the
time of an epidemic, DR.. Brown ex-
planned
More Women Than Men.
One thing has been noticeable of
the cases last year and this and that is
that those last year were mild ones
for the most part. DIR. Brown ex-