The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-01
WAR AGAINST
DIPHTHERIA is
FAR FROM WON
Some States Show Death
Rate Gain From Dreaded
Disease, Is Report.
~ Science serrice

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WASHINGTON, Feb. I'm the
general rejoicing over the decrease
IN deaths from diphtheria some Of
the facts in the situation seem TO
have been overlooked. The disease
Is far from being conquered in spite
Of the fact that a means of Wiping
out the disease is at hand and that
great progress toward that end has
been achieved in some localities.
It is something Of a shock to learn
from the statisticians of the MetrO-
politan Life Insurance Compsny
that there are still a number of
states and cities where the diph-
liberia mortality is today not only
atrociously high, but is actually in
creasing."
Their figures show that in 1882
four states registered more than
thirteen deaths from diphtheria per
100000 population. In every one of
these states. the diphtheria death
rate was much higher than that
recorded two years previously.
"A summing up Of the distinctly
unfavorable aspects of the diph-
liberia situation shows that there
were eighteen states which recorded,
in 1882, diphtheria death rates in
excess of the average for the United
States in that year." the report
states.
Situation Getting Worse
"In twelve of these states the
Situation is getting worse instead of
better. as is shown by comparison Of
their 1882 death rates with those
recorded two years earlier Further
more, in twenty-five of the thirty
two large cities whose 1882 diph-
liberia mortality rates we're above
the average for the country, the
1882 figures were higher than those
for 1890"
During the ten years from 1922
to 1892, the latest for which GEM
plete figures are available, the diph-
liberia death rate in the country at
large was reduced nearly 20 per
cent. But in Kentucky, West Vir-
ginia and Oklahoma the diphtheria
death rate of 1892 was nearly as
high as the average for the coun-
try ten years previously. In New
Mexico, which had the highest diph-
liberia death rate in the country,
the 1882 death rate from this dis
ease was actually "a per cent higher
than that of the United States as
q whole ten years previously.
With the exception of New Eng
land, the middle Atlantic and Pa
cific coast states, at least one and
usually several states of every other
section Of the country have diph-
liberia death rates that are high
and still increasing.
No excuse for High Rates
There were thirty-two large cities
in 1882 which had diphtheria NOR
tally rates above the average for
the country. The worst situation
was in Knoxville, Tenn, where
diphtheria killed seventeen out of
every 100000 inhabitants. Follow
ing closely after were Dallas. Tex;
Fl. Worth. Tex; Peoria, Ill; Lowell,
Mass. and Oklahoma City, Okla.
1T is difficult to understand how
whole states and certain cities can
justify their administration of the
public health facilities to permit the
continuance of high and increasing
diphtheria rates at the very time
when a marked REDUCTION is going
on in the country at large. and all
over the civilized world" the insur-
ance company statisticians observe
'Diphtheria would soon be baniShed
altogether if immunization by toxic
antitOxin or toXoid were extended