The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-05-27
MORTALITY Of FLU
OUTBREAK DURING
WINTER Shown HIGH
Cost One Insurance COMPANY
$7,342,o15 More Than Had
Deaths Been Normal

New York. May 27-The influenza
outbreak OF l928.l929 proved costly
for the American life insurance com
panies. judged by the experience Of
the Metropolitan Life Insurance COM
pany. whose death claim disburse-
ments for the epidemic months to-
tailed S7.342,9 l5 more than II the
death rate for the same period in
l927-l928 had prevailed.
In a review of the recent influenza
situation. which continued through
out October. November, December,
January and February, the Metro
politan's statistical bulletin points out
that. while the outbreak did not
reach the distressing proportions of
the l918-l919 pandemic nor even of
the 1920 epidemic, it was responsible,
nevertheless, for the loss of tens of
thousands of lives and was the out
standing public health development
of the closing months Of 1928 and
the first quarter of 1879.
The death rate for influenza and
pneumonia, among the company
1880. 900 industrial policyholders
during l928-l929 period, was approx
mately only one-fifth Is high as dur
ing the l9l8-l9l9 pandemic. In the
light of past experience, 1t is believed
the same ratio will hold good for the
general population, and when full
mortality figures arc available, it will
be found that the influenza. pneu.
monia situation ten years ago was
about five times as serious as during
the recent outbreak. when 1t is csti-
mated 10000 deaths occurred as
against a total Of 100000 in 19l8-19l9.
THE peak in 1913" tho bulletin
says, was reached in October, only a
month after the outbreak began with
the enormous death rate Of 1896 per
100000 policyholders. From this point
tho rate declined rapidly. The No.
vcmber figures were l,035: December
$40: January, 662; February 387; and
March 362. The peak mortality Of
the l928-1929 outbreak was in Janu-
airy and was only AL per 100000. It
rose to this point from q rate Of 66
in October. n In November and Isl
in December.
Severe as was the influenza situa-
ton in 1923. a year featured by two
serious outbreaks. in the spring and
fall. tho fact should not be over
looked that several years have shown
higher mortality rates for influenza
pneumonia. Among Metropolitan in
dustrial policyholders. the combined
mortality rate for influenza-pneu-
monia, in 1928, was 94.1 per 100000.
This was very much lower than for
1920 N59.5) and was also more or less
below the figures for 1926, 1923 and
1922 (1O5.6, 1917, and 95.3 respect
ively). The peak months Of the 1920
outbreak ere February and March.
when the influenza -pneumonia DEATH
rates among Metropolitan policy
holders were 6l2.0. and 1924 per
100000 respectively. These rates are
considerably In excess Of the recent
peak figure Of 4l0.5 recorded for
January 1929.
1T is thus obvious that, for the
country at large. the recent out
break was far less serious than the
great pandemic, and that, so far as it
is possible to judge, in no city did the
1028-1929 death rate exceed forty per
cent. Of that recorded in l9l8-10l9.
It Is further evident that the influ-
enza situation in 1920 was consider
ably more serious than during the
recent outbreak"