New Britain herald., 1928-03-26
CHIEF CAUSES Of
 ILLNESS IN U. s.
Govt. Health Service Makes City
 Survey

Public health In a given commun- ity depends upon the personal health Of each individual. Health officials generally have recognized, according to Surgeon General Cumming of the United States Public Health Service. that although a great deal is accom- plished by means that deal with community conditions. yet the indi- vidual Is the foundation upon which the public health is built. In order to know what diseases must be guarded against it must first be known what diseases are present
 Not only the causes Of death but the causes of i'll health as well are Of great importance to health off cers and physician. in their scientif- ic searching for causes and condi- tions in their preventive work. Of far greater importance than death rates and life table expression is a view of the health situation depict cd by physical impalrments as re- veAled by competent medical eNam- nations and by morbid conditions as ascertained by adequate records Of sickness.
 With this thought Tn mind a study vas conducted by the Public Health Service extending over more than two years In a city regarded as a typical American small city in one Of the eastern States. The informa- ton obtained through this study is of great interest 70 the general pub lie as 1t shows clearly what diseases are most prevalent in the general population.
 The city Tn which these studies were conducted may be said 10 be typical Of many other cities of it's size in the eastern section of the United States. The principal object os this study was record of illness es that were experienced by a popu- lation group composed of persons of all ages and both sexes. and in no remarkable respect unusual. The records Of illnesses obtained were of illnesses as reported to experienced investigator. The reports were made by the household informant. usually the wife, either the sickness as ex- perienced by herself or as she ob- served 1t in her family.
 The rate of sickness from colds and bronchitis was the highest, be- ing annually 4ls.6 per 1000 persons Influen1a and grippe came second with . rate of 143.2 per 1000; dis eases of the digestive system were ss.5 per 1.oc6: tonsillitis and sore throat 65.1: confinement and other puerperal causes 4S.9: diseases of the nervous system, including head aches, Al; accidents and other ex- teFnal causes. Sa.5; measles 34.2: whocping cough 22.s; rheumatism and lumbago 21.s: heart and other .circulatory diseases 1s.S. The list contains ten or eleven more items and concludes with hay fever and asthma which is shown to have caused 5.S cases of sickness each year per 1000 persons.
 From this study fairly accurate records of real illnesses were secur- ed. AS matter of fact less than 5T Of the illnesses Of exactly stated duration were recorded as one day or less in duration; nearly S0es were three days or longer, and soc were eight days or longer in duration. Approximately 40co were not only dtabling but caused confinement to bed. It is evident. therefore, that in the main the illnesses recorded were more than trivial in their char acter, in spite of the fact that in some instances mere symptoms were given as diagnoses.
 There are certain facts from this study that stand out with particular significance. First. the eX'raordi- nary high incidence of sickness shown in early childhood was a rather surprising result. Illness was far more freauet under 10 years of age than at any other time Of life. Second, the interesting suggestion was afforded that the average lndi- ,idual is more free from illness in the age period 1 5 to o4 years. There after sickness becomes more ire quent as age advances, and it may be added. upon the basis of other studies as well as these. that sick reas becomes more severe and fire auenuy fatal
 The picture given by the record of sicknes. according to causes, or more precisely, according to the kind of sickness is in sharp contract 10 that given by causes of death. Res piratory diseases and disorders nC- count for 50 per cent of sickness as against % per cent of deaths. The general group Of "epid mic. endemic. and infectious diseases account for eight per cent Of illness, whereas only about per cent of the deaths were due 70 this group. Digestive diseases and disorders caused 10 per cent of the illness as against ( per