The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-28
NC. BIRTHS SHOW
GAIN DURING 1888
continued from Page One)

Continued lTOul L s OllCJ
,o9S rate had remained I'M
horged in 1889, the total number of
,.,,bs would have been $3.50, in
0.o.d Of 31,92S, which means that,
this basis the number of lives
.,,ed was. in reality, 1,911 instead
NJ 1855. Please bear in mind and re-
a,l in YOUR future reading hat an
;noroase or reduction of one point
a,rresents the saving or loss of $500
lives within a year.
pneumonia has continued through
.b0 years to be one of the greatest
scnurages that has harrassed hum
oritv. Men and women, physicians
ord the laity, have bowed helpless
" before its memorable law of death.
But a new day appears to be at hand
in the battle against this arch-en-
envy.
A Striking Example
While a single years figures can
mt he taken as final as they apply
N nne1monia, any more than in their
snnlication to any other disease, yet
we have here a very striking exam
pe of an encouraging trend"
In North Carolina last year we
saved the lives of 537 more pneu-
monia patients from untinely gray
es THAI we did the previous year,
the total number of deaths from this
cause in 1880 having been 2,172 as
compared with 2,7O9 in 1888, the rate
dropping from 1858 to 61.0.
To emphasize the downward
trend in deaths from pneumonia
in North Carolina, it is pointed out
that there was also a decline from
1887 to 1888, when the number drop
per from 2,945 to 2,709, and the rate
from S4.3 to 1858. In other lords,
the rate dropped 2.33 points in two
years and the number of pneumonia
deaths 773.
We feel that this saving of life
has been due to two major causes;
the early tipping of the disease for
the administration of pneumonia
serum and sulfapyridine, which has
shown results nothing short of mar
velous.
Technicians for tipping pneumonia
may now be found at strategic
points throughout the state, due to
the courses in training which began
at Duke university in January, 1888.
through the cooperation of the med
1cal school of that institution and
the North Carolina State Board OF
Health, stimulated by the active
support of the North Carolina com
mission On pneumonia control, OF
Which DR.. Hubert B. Haywood, Of
Raleigh, also a member of the state
board of health, is chairman. There
We're IL technicians trained during
Inc first court at Duke, in addition
10 those who has previously quail
lied and pioneered in this great
Work i'll u state.
wish to emphasize here the value
OF DR.. Haywood's interest in this
matter, as he devoted much time te
laying the groundwork for what has
proved to be such a successful I'm
dertaking.
Revolutionary Changes
While the use of sulfapyridine has
wrought revolutionary changes II
the pneumonia situation and has
brought hope to the victims of {
disease which, as late as 1887, tool
a toll of 100 lives in the United
states, the Importance of early
ulagnosis remains paramount
Nelher syrum nor sulfapyridine
Gan De expected to overcome the
SERIOUS handicap that delay brings
cannot leave this subject with
out sounding a warning agains
lesiectlng what so many people er
loneously term the common cold
VI d touch of flu" Every ICON
mon cold and "touch of flu" fur
nSh a fertile field for the compiled
u0n-pneumonia, which remains
SERIOUS meance to life and health.
Vne Of the most gratifying fea
lures OF the 1889 report lies in thu
l9Vt mat it reflects a trend" which
M NeS now become very definite il
0IUl Carolina-a sharp reduction
~ Doth infant apd ,oo+orpo1 poor+o1
ity.
LAST Year the lives of 757 babe!
ef a year old were saved, thu
otai number of deaths in this groul
1aolhg been 4,704, as compared will
1ol IN 1888. During a single yea:
noith Cardinals infant mortalit,
@ue dropped from 68.3 to 5S.5 pc.
.'OVV live births. The United State,
40 d Whole had an infant mortalit,
aVe OIL 54.4 in 1887, the last year TO.
Ntcll figures are available, and i
titefestlng to note that the whit,
liant death rate for the entir,
oultry that year was SO and tn,
M.slo rate 50. The white rate TO
ollh Carolina was Sc, the negr'