Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-01

That Maine Is, one Of the healthiest
states in the Union and that people
in this State live rs years longer than
the average in the 81 other STATES in
which the registration was tabulated,
has recently been determined by a
study of state and federal statistics
made by Miss Jessamine whitney. sta
t1stician on the staff Of the National
tuberculosis Association. The figures.
which are released through the office
of the Maine Public Health Associa-
ton, amongst other interesting facts
reveal that Names death rate from
tuberculosis has declined steadily UNI
I'll In 1s23--the last year for which
figures are avatlable-the Pine Tree
/ state had the lowest mortality rate
due to that cause Of any state east Of
the Mississippi
The average age at death in Maine
for 1923 was SIS years, compared with
44.S years for the 81 states in the
United States registration area. The
advantage in Names favor is rs. For
1921 the average age at death in
Maine was ~ years, compared with
AL for the United States, making the
advantage in Names favor 60 years.
In other words, from 1921 to 1928
Maine gained practically a year on the
balance Of the United States IL. its
averageelength OF life. -
For the year 1924 Maine establish
er a new record low crude death rate
from all causes of 1876. For the same
year the New Hampshire rate was al,
Vermont 1873, Rhode Island 1876, Mass
foj,
and Vermont are tied when the years
1924 and 1923 are compared. Both
Maine and Vermont during 1924 made
a reduction in their death rates over
1872 3of IA, Massachusetts, 8, Connec-
ticut q, Rhode Island 2, New Hamp-
shire l.
Names tuberculosis death rate has
declined steadily up until 1923-the
latest year for which such figures are
notwithstanding which year the
death rate from tuberculosis was S0.7
per 100000 population. For that year
-1923-Maine had the lowest tubercu-
losis death rate, Of any state east of
the Mississippi River and south of the
Great Lakes. The Massachusetts
death rate for the same year was sS.5,
Connecticut 900, Vermont S2.6, New
Hampshire S1.1, Rhode Island 1902,
for Florida 1884, for California 1875,
for, New York 97.9, while the average
for the United States was 93.6.
For the following communicable dis
eases, typhoid, measles, scarlet fever,
whooping cough, diphtheria and Group,
influenza, tuberculosis and syphilis,
the death rate In Maine for 1928 was
1856, per 100000 population as COM
pared with 1913 for the United States
registration area.
Names infant mortality however,
is considerably higher than the
United States registration area. For
the year 1929 Names deaths among
! infants under one year per 1000
births was 88.5, as compared with
TIT for the United States registra-
ton area. For 1924 the figures were
S0.7 in Maine per 1000 births as COM
| pared with 71.9 for the United States
registration area.
Related Facts
OF all deaths in Maine during 1928,
6372 percent died at the age Of
SO years or older. 46.S1 percent Of
all deaths occurred between the
ages of 60-85 and seven Of the 1928
deaths occurrd atsthe age Of more
than 100 years Of age.
The Maine Public Health Associ-
alton has for sits objective Maine.
the Healthiest State" The goal when
reached will be determined by the
average age of death in Maine as is
compared with the United States and
the death rate from communicable
or preventable diseases in Maine as
compared with the other states. -,
The Maine Public Health Associ-
alton is conducting statewide
demonstration-the first statewide
unconstitutional what can be done
by cooperation and consolidation in
volunteer health work. In Maine,
there Is the Marie Public Health
Association with sections on Can
Ger, tuberculosis, Child Health, Con-
servation of Vision, Social Hygiene.
Mental Hygienes etc. These same
groups in other state frequently take
the forms of separate organizations
with separate stats, separate boards
of directors and separate fund-rais-
ing appeals. This demonstration has
been in effect for four years and
grew out of the organization OF
the old Maine Anti-Tuberculasis AS
ISOLATION into the Maine Public
Health Association.
The Maine Public Health Associ-
alton was the first organization to
propose and to promote statewide
campaign of education on the i'm
portance of health examinations pc
riodically for young and old. This
was done in 1921. The following
year the American Medical Associa-
ton at its convention at San Fran
cisco approved similar proposal.
In 1928 the National Health Council
advocated the same measure as
modern method to prevent the de-
velopment Of preventable sickness
and to check up on physical defects
while those defects were in their
early stages and therefore likely to
respond to remedial measures.