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1906]
106
RESPIRATORY DISEASES.
These diseases, which include Acute and Chronic Bronchitis, Pneumonia,
Pleurisy,and Asthma, caused 904 deaths, or 17.9 per cent. of the total number
of deaths from all causes, and were equal to a death-rate of 2.62 per 1,000 of
the population.
Bronchitis, Acuta.- To this cause were ascribed 161 deaths, of which
81, or just one-half, were those of infants under a year old, a fact which causes
serious misgivings as to the care with which their young lives were tended,
because one naturally inquires how came it that these children were so
exposed as to contract this ailment. The total death-rate was 0.47 per 1,000
inhabitants.
Bronchitis, Chronic.—288 deaths were registered, 131 of males and
157 of females, and were equal to 0.83 per 1,000 of the population.
Pneumonia caused 410 deaths, of which 103, or just one-fourth, were
those of infants under twelve months old, many of which were due, without
doubt, to causes which were entirely within the power of the parents to
prevent, as in the case of acute bronchitis. 218 deaths were those of males,
and 192 of females. The deaths were in the proportion of 119 to every
1,000 persons living in the borough.
Pleurisy was the ascribed cause of the deaths of 19 persons, of whom 9
were males and 10 females.
Asthma caused 16 deaths, 9 males and 7 females.
Other diseases of respiration were returned as the cause of the
deaths of 10 persons, 5 of whom were males and 5 females.
It is not satisfactory to find so many as 184 infant deaths ascribed to
bronchitis and pneumonia, for reasons that have been stated. An analysis of
the returns shows that they occur chiefly in the first and fourth quarters, that
is in the cold weather, when infants require the greatest care.