Evening star., 1939-02-19
Healthiest Year of i. S. Lifts
Population Above 13O,OOO,OOO
ALL Time Low Is Set in Death Rate. With Every
Section Sharing Benefits of Medicines
Eternal War;
BY Thomas r. Henry.

BY 1hOma
The United States has just emerged
from the healthiest of her $50 years
with population slightly in excess of
100000 ,000-a gain of nearly a million
In IL months.
There has been a net gain, as closely
As it can be calculated, of 7440 ,0G0 since
the last population census in 1880.
This appears from the calculations of
the Public Health Service and the Bu-
reau of the Census, based on fairly COM
plete reports for the first nine months
OF 1885,
The death rate during this time, the
Public Health Service tables show, was
the lowest of all time. Deaths from all
causes were los per 1000 of the total
population. The lowest hitherto re-
corded was 10.7 per 1000 in 1888 The
two rates may about balance, however,
when the returns for the last three
months of 1898 are included in the
calculations.
Trend Is Signal for Joy.
The Public Health Service is jubilant
over the years record because of the
significant trends which it reveals,
rather than by the small percentage of
gain in life itself. First, the gain was
for the United States as a whole The
calculations are based on returns from
40 States Thirty-eight of these had a
lower death rate than in the same period
for 1887 and two kept the same rate In
the past notable gains in longevity have
been restricted to certain areas while
most of the country has remained about
the same.
Second, there was decrease in deaths
from every important cause except one
cancer. tuberculosis was down 10 per
cent below 1887. The final figure, the
Public Health Service statisticians be-
lieve, will be the lowest on record, or
about so deaths per 100000 of the total
population. Especially gratifying is the
decrease shown in infant and maternal
mortallty-which were, respectively,
and 13 per cent less than shown by the
1887 reports.
This shows, the report stresses, one
certain way in which longevity can be
increased in the United States-a sys-
tematic, concerted attack on those
causes Of death which can be greatly
reduced and perhaps almost eliminated
by application Of present medical knowl-
edge The medical profession need not
walt for startling new discoveries, as in
the case of cancer
Traffic Toll Reduced.
Perhaps the most striking decrease.
according to the report, was in the death
rate from accidents, especially automo-
bile accidents. In spite of the constantly
increasing congestion of traffic and the
prevalence of drunken drivers, this rate
actually was 20 per cent lower than in
1887 1t is partly due, the statisticians
believe, to better roads and better traffic
control. They attribute it chiefly, how
ever, to the constant efforts of news
papers, radio broadcasters and civic or
ganizatlons to arouse public conscious
hess.
Luck admittedly played some part
IN the years good record. Influenza
everywhere was of mild type and there
was relatively little pneumonia, which
always pushes up the death rates in
winter. In addition, the normal pneu-
monia death rate was decreased markedly
by more general use of serums and
newly discovered methods of treatment
This good luck was partly offset, how
ever by the excessive death rate from
the epidemic of measles which swept
over most of the country last winter
More than three times as many lives
were taken by this disease as in 1887
It never ranks, however, as a major
cause of death.
Birth Rate Gains.
While the death rate went down. the
birth rate went up for the second con-
secutive year and the preliminary fig
Vres indicate that it was the highest
since 1881. The final reports will show,
the statisticians believe, that it will be
about II per 1,000-or 6.5 per 1000 in
excess OF the death rate.
The total population figures compiled
oy the Census Bureau, based in part
on the Public Health reports and on
the immigration figures are admittedly
cruoe and stop with last July. They
-> w SAASShco ny actual count IN the
oecennlal census next year.
The mathematical computations indi-
cate population last summer of 130-
2l5,OOO, an increase of per cent over
the similar estimate in 1887 of 100 257-
600. The excess of births over deaths
was approximately $4,000 and the .x-
cess of immigration over emigration
about $4,000.
All but one of the outlying territories
and possessions have shown some slieht
gain during the decade, but in most
cases they have been very slight indeed.
Alaska, according to the estimates, has
gone from 59,27S to 62,70O; Hawaii from
30s,336 to 405.000; Puerto Rico from
1,543,913 to 1905 900; the Canal Zone
rom 39,467 to $4,000; Guam from 1850e
to 22,700, and Samoa from lOy055 to
. 1l,700. The population of the Virein
Islands has declined from 22ol2 to
1900.