The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-04-06
Death Rate In England
In ~ at Pre-WarL Level
Birth Rate Greatest in Decade Latest Statistics In
dicate; Improved Health Conditions Noted

Despite the war with all Its wor-
ries, the tough-1ibred English In
1912 reduced their death rate To
pre-War levels and increased their
birth rate, according to the statisti-
clans OF the Metropolitan Life In
surance Company. At the same
time there was n drastic decline IN
air raid fatalities and a substantial
drop in deaths from road accidents.
With more than 650,000 babies
born last year, the English birth
rate was the highest In more than
a decade. Moreover, coincidentally
with the rise in the birth rate, in
FAINT mortality declined to such a
degree that the rate for 1912 was
little, II any, higher than the Eng
lish lal-time low record established
In 1899, when the number OF infant
deaths per 1000 live births dropped
to so.
A striking feature Of England S
health record last year was the de-
cline in diabetes mortality, which.
the statisticians explain, was prob
ably associated with the limitation
ON Englands wartime food supply.
Under present conditions, no Eng
lishman can eat too much and, con-
sequently, overeating and over
weight, which play such a large
role In the onset Of diabetes, are
notably less frequent"
Mortality from ulcers Of the
stomch and duodenum, which, the
statisticians point OUT" has shown
itself to be a sensitive index OF
conditions Of stress, fell off sharply
and was at about the 1899 level. In
like manner, the mortality from
suicide continued the decline which
pegan III 1889. rejecting favor
able psychological effect Of the war.
Outstanding was the Improvement
In mortality from diseases ASSOCIATE
ed with war conditions. Cerebro-
spinal fever, which had increased
sharply after the outbreak Of the
war, the statisticians explain. fell
last year to about half the level OF
1940-1941. The mortality from
tuberculosis which also had risen
since the outbreak of the war de-
clined last year almost to the pre-
war level with the greatest improve
ment among women and children.
among whom the previous rise had
been most rapid.
Other favorable developments In
the English disease picture were
decreases in the NOR. atty from in
fiuenza, pneumonia, bronchitis and
most of the degenerative diseases.
Childhood diseases also showed low
ar death rates, and the rate for
diphtheria was the lowest In English
history. Civilian air raid fatalities
last year totaled only 3,235. or less
than one sixth Of the 20,520 deaths
inflicted on the English In l94l and
less than one seventh Of the 1926
total of 1910.
"The comparison with l940," the
statis.icians explain, sis the more
striking since most Of the air raid
deaths that year occurred In the
last four months. In that period
about IS times as many persons
were killed as in the corresponding
months Of 1912. In fact, the total OF
such deaths in all of 1912 was less
than In any one OF those terrible
months of 1910, and less than half
as many as in the peak month OF
September 1910 when 1855 English
civilians suffered death In air raids
Fatalities from road accidents de-
creased last year by cne-fourth