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34
Compared with the average of the last ten years, there was
last year an increase of deaths at nearly all age periods, but
specially between 1 and 10 and over 65. Over 65 the
number of deaths was the highest recorded. The number of
deaths also from apoplexy and diseases of the heart and
blood vessels and those from respiratory diseases (bronchitis
and pneumonia) reached the highest point recorded.
Table III. shows the number of deaths in 1913 from 57
principal causes at various ages. Comparing last year with
1913, there was considerably increased mortality from measles,
whooping-cough, diphtheria, meningitis (tuberculous and nontuberculous),
alcoholism and cirrhosis of the liver, cancer,
premature birth, heart disease, and broncho-pneumonia.
There were fewer deaths from influenza, enteritis, pulmonary
tuberculosis, and diseases of the brain, nervous system, and
kidney.
Appendicitis caused 5 deaths in 1914, compared with 8,
18, and 9, in the three preceding years. Of the 5 deaths
2 were males and 3 females; all were between 20 and 55
years of age. It is a mistake to think that more persons
die of appendicitis than formerly. Illnesses formerly
called peritonitis, enteritis, etc., are now, called appendicitis,
and as a fact there has been a marked reduction in the
total deaths from inflammatory affections of the abdomen.
15. The chart on the opposite page shows graphically
how the birth and death-rates have varied in the past 23
years. It is seen that while the birth-rate has come down
to 67 per cent. of what it formerly was, the death-rate has
been also reduced to 71 per cent. of its figure in 1891.