SIGNS OF INCREASE OF THE DEGENERATIVE DISEASES
The fact that in the United States the general death rate has steadily
fallen for the past several decades, a phenomenon common to all
civilized countries, is accepted by many as evidence of a steady gain in
National Vitality. That there has been a gain in vitality in the younger
age groups is unquestionably true, but this gain has served to mask a
loss in vitality at the older age periods.
This latter phenomenon, a rising mortality in elderly life, is something
almost peculiar to the United States. It is not exhibited in the
mortality statistics of the leading European countries. In those
countries the fall in the death rate has not been due solely to a
reduction of mortality in infancy and adult life through the conquest of
diseases of children, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.
England and Wales, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Prussia show improved
mortality at every age period.
The charts in this section show the trend of mortality in this country
during 30 years at the various ages of life, and also the trend of
mortality in the two great classes of diseases: the communicable, which
affect more emphatically the young lives, and the degenerative or
regressive class of diseases, which affect chiefly those in middle life
and old age.
It seems evident that unless this increased mortality is due to some
unknown biologic influence or to the amalgamation of the various races
that constitute our population, it must be ascribed, in a broad sense,
to lack of adaptation to our rapidly developing civilization.
Whether or not there is one principal cause that determines the
unfavorable trend of mortality in this country as compared to other
civilized nations has not yet been conclusively shown.
[Illustration: INCREASES AND DECREASES IN DEATH RATE BY AGE PERIODS
MASS. & N.J. 1880-1910
L.E.I. Inc.
ENGLAND & WALES IN BROKEN LINE]
This chart exhibits the trend of the death rate from all causes, by age
periods. The decreases are below the center line and the increases above
it.
It will be noted that the American decreases in the younger ages were
not as great as in England and Wales, that they changed to _increases_
about age 45 and continued to increase in each age group thereafter,
while in England and Wales the decline _occurred at all ages_.
NOTE.--Massachusetts and New Jersey are used as a basis because they
were the only States in 1880 where sufficiently reliable comparative
statistics could be had. These records were accepted by the national
government, and these States really constituted the registration
area in that year. There were also fifteen cities outside these
States where comparisons were possible.
[Illustration: DEATH RATE REGISTRATION AREA
(PER 10,000 LIVING)
ORGANIC DISEASES
L.E.I. INC
ENGLAND & WALES DOTTED LINES]
This chart shows that in the United States registration area, the
mortality from diseases of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys
increased 41 per cent. during the period 1890-1910, while in England and
Wales (shown by the dotted lines) during the same period there was a
decrease in the mortality from these maladies.
[Illustration: OCCUPIED MALES INCREASES-DECREASES FROM CERTAIN DISEASES]
This chart comparing 1900 with 1890 (1900-1910 not yet available) shows
the sharp upward trend in the mortality from organic disease among males
in gainful occupations, and the downward trend in the mortality from
communicable disease in the same group. This heavy and increasing loss
from chronic disease occurs among our most valuable lives--those of the
breadwinners.