The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-06-20
ORGANIC DISEASES
ARE INCREASING
FOUR ARE GREATER THAN IN
EARLY PART OF 1921. HEART
DISEASE IN THE LEAD.

talities have held public attention re-
Gently by their alarming frequency
the principal causes of deaths Tor the
early months of this year continue to
be four organic diseases, according to
DR.. Lee K. Frankel, head OF the well
fare division OF the Metropolitan Lite
Insurance Company, says the New
York Times
Compared to them the rates for VIC
lent deaths seem insignificant Analyz-
ing the statistics of the company Tor
the first ten weeks of 1922, and par
ticularly the week of March 6, DIR.
Frankel said:
-Four of the most important organic
diseases continue to show higher
mortality than during the early months
of 1921. These diseases are cancer,
cerebral hemorrhagc, chronic nephritls
and organic heart disease. The IN
crease for each is small, with the eX-
ception of heart disease, the year to
date rate of which, 1903 per l0O,OOO
persons, is much higher than Tor the
same period last year, which was 1855.
THE cancer rate is 72.2. as compar-
ed with 688 for the same period III
1921; the nephritis rate is TO, as COM
pared with 74.2, and the cerebral hem
orrhage rate for the first months OF
this year is 67.2, as compared with
I65.1 for the same months last year
The death rate for tuberculosis shows
gratifying decrease this year, but
this disease still ranks high among the
mortality causes. The rate for the first
10 weeks of 1922 is 1000 as compared
with 1881 for this period last year.
Deaths From Cancer Increase.
"The mortality statistics of the pc
Rod 1911 to 1921 show that these or
qanic diseases. with the exception OF
cancer, declined consistently, but by
no means as sharply as some of the
more popularity dreaded diseases. For
cancer the trend of the death rate has
been upward rather than downward.
Consider typhoid, for instance. 1t seems
to be rapidly approaching the vanish
ing point as cause OF death. Its NOR
tally rate per 100000 persons among
our policy holders for 1922 was Zl.8,
while in 1921 it had shrunk to 90. In.
huenza and pneumonia combined
showed remarkable decrease as a
cause of death in this 10-year period.
The rate per 100000 persons was 1917
in 1911, and Isl in 1921.
"The spread of health education, in
which this company has taken an act
i've part since 1909, has had marked
effect in reducing mortality from acute
causes. Personal hygiene, inspired by
health education, has been strong
factor in reducing the death rate
among our policy holders.
"In cases where medical aid was
general and adequate there has been a
great saving of lives there having been
| $4,000 fewer deaths among our policy
holders in 1921 than if the 1911 NOR
talitv rate had prevailed But all the
health measures have not reduced the
almost steady high death rates for or
ganic diseases to the degree that they
have reduced those for acute diseases.
The reason is the limited facilities and
knowledge for dealing with these i'm
portant causes OF death.
Hospitals Great Work.
There is need of more institutions
for the study and treatment OF organic
diseases Con the lines OF the Monte
foire Hospital for Chronic Diseases.
This hospital has led the way and has
shown what can be accomplished in
{arreSt1ng the raVdSeS VI tIlCSo uloco9G9'
1t is practically the only big charitable
hospital of its kind in the country,
which not only treats chronic diseases
exclusively, but maintains a large re
search department devoted to the
study of the subject, Thus Montetoire
hospital furnishes center for doctors
to study the important gravely-threat-
ening matter of organic disease, as
we'll as ministering to thousands OF
patients yearly. :,
"Organic disease can be arrested If
treated properly and promptly. The
need is to obtain wider specialization
on organic diseases, to attack them
with the same certainty as acute dis
eases are treated, and to have a great
er number of hospitals of the Monte
foire type. When the people realize
that disease commonly believed to be
incurable can be reduced toward the
vanishing point, as typhoid has been
reduced, they will demand that more
hospitals be devoted to the treatment
and study of organic diseases, and that
greater percentage of physicians and
surgeons specialize in the care OF these
ailments.