Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-22

those who noted the census figures
made public, cannot prevail. Maine
Is yearly visited by many thousands
who attest to its health giving prop
critics."
waiter e. Thurber, executive Sec
| rotary of the Maine Public Health
Association, who IL in constant
/ touch with the various volunteer
groups through the State, said:
"A feeling of justified resentment
at q recent announcement from the
Census Bureau to the effect that
Maine has the highest death rate In
orally by Maine leaders in health
work. These leaders declare that
similar statements are issued an
nually by officials at Washington and
are given wide publicity throughout
the United, States with the result
that many persons recall the item
highest death rate in the nation
when thinking Of Maine.
"The injustice comes in-and this
is backed up with proof-in the
broadcasting of such reports based
on the crude" or unanalyzed re-
turns.
IAN analysis of the mortality and
morbidity returns from the Pipe
Tree State or, in other words, an
analysis Of the death and sickness
statistics, show several interesting
facts according to figures issued by
the Maine State Department of
Health and by Miss Jessimine Writ
ney, statistician for the National Tu-
berculosis Association.
1.-THE revised figures for 1920
in the "a registration states show a
death rate of 1921 per thousand pop
| ulation. Maine for the same year
had a death rate Of 1913 per thou
sand population.
1.-The revised figures for 1921 in
the "a registration states show a
death rate of 11.3 per thousand popu-
lation. In Maine for the same year
the rate was 11.2.
"3-The' average age at death in
the United States in 1920 was 42.1
years. In Maine for the same year
the average age at death was 49
years.
"4-Repofts issued by the Maine
State Department of Health for 1922
show that nearly 52.S percent of all
deaths occurred at the age Of so or
over. And nearly 70 percent of all
Maine deaths occur above the age
of 40.
"5-The number of deaths per
States from the following preventa-
BILE diseases-tuberculos typhoid,
scarlet fever. diphtheria, measles. in
| fluenza, syphilis, Group and whooping
cough-was 243.3. For Maine the
rate was 1865.
From these facts, Maine health
workers draw the following obvious
conclusions and are strongly of the
opinion that the facts on which they
| are based should be given as wide
publicity as are given the original
statements from Washington based
on the crude or unanalyzed figures:
T-That folks Live longer in
Maine
"2-That the value of health work
should be gagged by the degree in
| which preventable diseases are con-
| trolled.
IAN example of the steady reduc-
| ton in preventable sickness in Maine
! is the figures on tuberculosis. Not
withstanding a steadily increasing
| population, the number of tubercu-
losis deaths in Maine has consistent
ly been reduced from 933 in the year
| 1915 to 639 in 1922. True there was
culosis in 1922 as against 1921 but
health workers generally do not at
tach much significance to statistics
| for single year and an increase of
six deaths in state the size of Maine
has little or no bearing when COM
pared with a sharp and steady de-
cline over a period of eight or ten
| years"