Evening star., 1940-02-08
Of Sturs, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henri.


Women are sick oftener and longer
than men from the same diseases, but
they live longer.
This finding, just reported by DR..
Selwyn D. Collins of the United States
Public Health Service, is based on
years study Of the frequency and dura-
ton of illness and the numbers Of days
spent in bed among 5000 families visited
periodically by Government investiga-
tors. All illnesses of one day or longer
were recorded. The families were
scattered over 18 States.
During the year, DR.. Collins found
when he analyzed the reports, there were
1923 sicknesses per 1000 persons. Half
of these required at least one day in bed.
The average stay in bed was 39 days
or total loss of about $4,000 days for
the families as whole during the IL
months.
At all ages, he found, the rate for
total cases was 40 per cent higher for
women than for men. Women had SO
per cent more illness requiring day or
more in bed, and they spent ST per cent
more time in bed. The study was con-
Quoted with II malades common to
both sexes.
BY far the greatest excess for women,
DR.. Collins found, was in nervous
diseases. These, however, seldom made
the patient bed-ridden and then only
for short periods.
There were approximately IA illnesses
for each death, the survey revealed.
That is, there is one chance out of "a,
apparently, that any illness picked at
random will prove fatal But the death
rate is one for each 81 illnesses that put
the patient to bed for day or more.
Women are less likely to be i'll, it was
found, between the 18th and the 10Th
period for men is between the Goth and
oath years. Both before and after these
periods the rates for both sexes rise
rapidly.
So far as number of illnesses is con-
cerned, it was found, there is little in
crease with advancing age but the older
the person the longer the period in bed
required for each case. The minimum
number of deaths were found between
the 10th and 14th years for both males
,,a1o tba
rapid to old age.
For total illnesses, DR.. Collins figures
show. the minor respiratory diseases
such as cold, laryngitis, grippe, ETC.,
account for "a per cent, and for 80 per
cent Of all cases requiring day or more
in bed. In terms of days of sickness,
however, they are second to the degene-
rative illnesses Of advancing age which
are responsible for 10 per cent of all
sick days.
Mortality" says Dr. Collins. sis almost
uniformly higher for men than for
women and recent data on occupational
mortality in England and Wales indicate
that among men and women engaged in
the same specific occupation the death
rates are usually lower for women. When
specific diseases are considered as causes
of death, it is found that there are a
considerable number in which mortality
Is higher for women than for men but
in the great majority the reverse is
true"
The great excess of nervous maladies
among women was one of the puzzling
features of the investigation. These in
cluded nervous breakdowns, neuras-
thenia and plain nervousness" as we'll
as the more serious mental diseases
which were cared for in the homes
rather than in hospitals. The rate was
| nearly three times that for males and
| women had an excess of 139 per cent of
nervous ailments requiring day or more
In bed.
There was total of IA cases per 1000
persons during the year. About 40 per
cent of these were sufficiently serious to
require bed treatment. The probability
is, DR.. Collins believes, that women are
more likely to complain of being nervous
A man is more apt to keep on working
and say nothing about it.
This is shown, he says, by the fact
that when a man does go to bed from
some nervous malady he stays there
nearly twice as long, on the average
as does a woman. Serious mental cases.
requiring confinement in an institution
are much more frequent among men
than women for all age groups above
the 18th year.
Women are about as prone to accidents
at one time of life as another, the survey
showed Among males there are two
peaks-between the 5th and 14th years
representing the school years and arouno
the 10th year. Injuries are definitely
less frequent among females than among
males of all ages for all except the two
oldest age periods. For total cases the
rate for females of all ages is So per cent
less than the rate for males. Days ir
bed per case, however, are 10 per cent
greater for women than for men.
Thinks Money for Orchestra
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