Evening star., 1939-09-05
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henri.

By Thomas r. Henry.
The American birth rate, declining for
20 years, is going up again.
Preliminary statistics reported to the
Public Health Service for 1888 show a
rate of approximately 178 per 1000
higher than for any year since 1881 and
nearly 8 per cent higher than that for
the lowest year on record, 1888.
This is the second consecutive year
that the rate has been on the upgrade
The same phenomenon Is reported for
Western Europe. New Zealand and South
Africa, where since the first World Wal
the decline in the number of children
born in proportion to the population has
been practically parallel to that in the
United States. This has been so pro-
nounced that some sociologists have
feared it was the start toward extinc-
ton of the dominant people of the
white race.
Both Germany and Italy have de-
liberately encouraged a higher birth
rate, the former very successfully and
the latter without much result. The
Western nations have done nothing, but
the number of births has kept increas-
ing.
"Of the Scandinavian countries" says
a recent report, Norway had a rise
from IA per 1000 in 1885 to 15.5 in
1887; Sweden from 1877 in 1888 to 143
in 1927 ord neppoork fro,,, ~ j., 1000
to 18 in 1887. OF the countries on the
Baltic Sea, Lithuania alone appears to
have continued the decline in it's birth
rate. In Estonia it mounted from 1874
per 1000 in 1884 to 161 in 1886 and
1887. In Finland there was rise from
TIA in 1888 to 1871 in 1886. In Latvia
there was jump from 17.2 in 1884 to
1S,1 in 1886, followed by slight setback
in 1897
1t Is also noteworthy, according to life
insurance statistics, on which the Public
Health Service depends for preliminary
data, that in England and Wales the
birth rate rose from low of 14.4 per
1000 in 1888 to l49 in 1887, and North
ern Ireland from 1872 in 1885 to 20 in
1886 and 1913 in 1887. Australia went
from 164 in 1884 to 174 in 1887. The
comparative figures for New Zealand
were 161 in 1885 and 173 in 1887.
Among the European population of the
Union of South Africa, where the birth
rate is still very high, the change was
from 23.3 in 1884 to Isl in 1887.
xrtN ,l,N11 4
to have reached its low point in 1888
and 1884. The reasons for this are
obscure, except that the whole world
was caught in the depression. The rate,
however, is still far from its pre-war
figure, especially in the United States.
Here in 1915 25 children were born for
each 1000 of the population. This
dropped off less than one child per
thousand during the war years. The
progress thenceforeWard has been stead
lily downward up to the last two years.
In all these countries, it is pointed out
birth rate still is insufficient to keep the
population ultimately from declining
even with the accompanying decreases
in the death rates. These have been
especially notable in the United States
The last year was the healthiest on
record. For 1899 only statistics for jan
uary are available, but these indicate
about as good record unless there is
some unforeseen epidemic. The feared
influenza epidemic of the early winter
never materialized, the Public Health
oryyipn tot
been more cases than in 1888, but they
have been generally quite mild.
Insurance companies report that the
death rates among their policyholders
from both influenza and pneumonia in
January actually were lower than for
the same month in 1888. There were
slight RISES, however, in deaths from
cancer. diabetes, heart and circulation
diseases.
Mortality reports to the Census Bureau
for the first six weeks of 1899, gathered
from SO major cities, show there were
55504 deaths, compared to 54,756 in the
same period of 1888. an increase of only
748. The reports shows that for every
elapsed week of this year the death rate
was substantially below the average for
the last three years.
One of the most interesting improve
ments reported in life insurance statis-
tics is decline in automobile fatalities
for January, compared with the corre-
spending period in 1888.
Aside from sickness ending in death
the health conditions appear to have
been much above average for the first six
weeks of the year. There was less
diphtheria and poliomyelitis and only
slightly more typhoid fever than for the
1898 period.
The death and sickness rate should
decline appreciably from now until the
return of cold weather this fall, so that
Public Health Service statisticians are
confident that the combination of high
birth rate and low death rate should
result in a slight population increase for
the year.
Approves Objections to