Show 92 1 healthiest year in history insurance figures indicate marked lowering of death rate in united states AUTO DEATHS UP 15 PER GENT records show suicides and homicides four times normal rates influenza almost wiped out decrease in tuberculosis new york the year 1921 1021 was the healthiest lear in the history of both the united states and cariaga Cari aJa according to the records of 0 37 leading american lu insurance urance companies the figures for the first ten months indicate 1 a lowering of 0 the death rate among policy holders front from per thousand last year to per thousand in 1021 1921 among the striking things shown hy by the figures which cover persons are that influenza has almost disappeared from the united states and canada and that pneumonia has decreased 50 per cent froni from 1920 on the he other hand mortalities ties due to automobile accidents bacillus it is referred refe ired to in the report show a 15 per cent Inci case with an indication of lopoo deaths front from this cause homicides and suicides also show large increases inci oases the figures figure were analyzed by robert lynn cox nt at the annual convention 0 of the association of life insurance presidents held here last week the 37 companies constituting these figures transact about SO 80 per cent of the life insurance business of the country lie he said combining both ordinary and industrial ufa life insurance business these 37 companies report that while they experienced in the first ten months ol of 1920 deaths numbering for the same period this bear ear only deaths death have occurred this shows a reduction of in the actual number of their death losses this year causes of death the causes of 0 death for the first ten months of 1921 with nith the corresponding sp period of 1920 1020 are as aa follows first ten first ten months month months 1311 influenza 1730 pneumonia nil all forms 13 aa tuberculosis lit all for corma other diseases tto brights disease puerperal state 2129 2429 2 1123 ua ble measles aslos 49 whooping cough MI meningitis all forms corrns orr ns idt diarrhea and ente enteritis ritia 2332 2392 2 2327 an typhoid favor ever 1328 1373 1379 cerebral hemorrhage lq sm organic disease of 0 heart aeils 2113 external causes cause excluding suicides homicides and automobile miscellaneous causes of death showing an increase in the death rate cancer suicides 2 aw 0 6 2852 homicides I 1 OG 2 la 1322 automobile accidents and anju injuries ries 2211 2311 scarlet fever I 1 N 1 diphtheria 2555 2891 WW gd total all causes though certain causes of 0 death show increases in actual number of deaths for or 1321 2221 over the rate per thousand la Is in fact act lower because of oc the increased number of 0 lives at risk in 1921 1 we see at the allt that about 23 per cent of dealis de atlis during this year hane been caused by diseases which under out present habits of life are pretty sure to continue nt lit high ratios among the various causes of death fald sir mr cox these diseases disease are ere C bral hemorrhage organic diseases of the heart rind and disease in the ninin they are all ailments ments of the more advanced years of life therefore we ue turn for hope to the other causes of death constituting 72 per cent of the total though we learn that tits has caused the enormous total of I 1 deaths that Is to say about one in nine of all deaths that have occurred in 1921 1021 0 ie o have in mind for purposes of comparison the fact that no longer than ten years ago its ratio stood at one in four deaths from pneumonia as reported in these tables vicie bic only in 1921 1021 as compiled comp ired with ili lit in 1920 1020 an actual reduction from this cause alone of deaths or nearly 40 per cent if we take into consideration the greater number of lives at risk in 1921 we might say that pneumonia Is only about one halt half as serious a cause caule of death this acar ear as it was last year the most amazing factor lit in the health situation of the year Is the almost complete disappearance e of influenza us is a cause of death only 1730 deaths fire are reported for ten months of 1921 as against 11 for the corresponding period of 1920 which was not regarded as an epidemic year in increase crease in suicides but there are always some exceptions to be noted find and mention must now be made of certain causes of death that are showing increases over those of last sear suicides and homicides amounting to have increased by the number of 1020 1026 or about four times what the increase would have been had bad the rate per thousand of 1920 remained constant for 1921 this undoubtedly Is a direct result of nr ar reat reactions ions business depression unemployment find and other phases of economic disturbance and will lill largely cure itself as times improve A in nitter of no small concern among the increasing causes of death Is the steadily mounting mortality cri caused by automobiles and other mo tor driven vehicles cles the number of deaths death in 1921 1021 reported by the lie life insurance com companies that furnished furnis lied their figures for the compilation on this paper Is based was 2624 Is tin an increase of nearly 15 per cent over 1920 we talk learnedly of bacteria anc und and ba bacilli ellit but overlook the bacillus whose presence behind the wheel of his juggernaut can be discovered without aid from the microscopes and whose homicides might be largely prevented by more effective policing of our congested highways our experience for ten months shows that human lives live will be brought to premature deaths in 1021 by motor driven vehicles at an economic loss to the world of at least Sj the death claims paid by the life insurance companies of the united states for the dear 1920 1020 amounted in round numbers to most or of tills this was paid on insured men women and children who nho died premature ly y |