MORTALITY STATISTICS.

RETURNS of Deaths for 1881 have been received from many of the counties, and are now being tabulated. Meanwhile the following Mortality Statistics for Illinois, for the Census Year, 1880, furnished in advance sheets from the Census Office, are here presented as forming an appropriate starting-point for a continuous series of Vital Statistics of the State.

Surgeon John S. Billings. U. S. A., under whose direction the Mortality Statistics of the Tenth Census were compiled, remarks that the death-rate in the United States, 15.1 to the thousand for the census year 1880, is decidedly higher than that given in the census of 1860, viz: 12.6, and of 1870, viz: 12.8 per thousand; but that this does not indicate any actual increase in the number of deaths as compared with the living population. It shows, rather, that the efforts made in the census of 1880 to obtain more complete returns of deaths, than had been collected in previous enumerations, had been to some extent successful.

There is still a deficiency, however, ascertained to be as great in some instances as 30 per cent., in the returns of the enumerators, the result of which, if taken into account, will be an average mortality, for the whole country, of 18.2 per thousand of living population per annum. The actual mortality for the whole country during the census year was not less than 17, nor greater than 19 per thousand. This rate compares favorably with that of all civilized countries. The death-rate in the rural population of England, comprising ten and one-half millions of people in the year 1880, was 18.5 per thousand. For the whole of England for the same year, it was 20.5 per thousand. For Scotland, in 1878, it was 21.3 per thousand; in the mainland rural group of Scotland for the same period it was 17.3 per thousand. The low death-rate in this country is considered to be due to the comparative absence of overcrowding and to the more general and equable distribution of the means of supporting life, including especially the abundant food-supply of good quality for all classes of people.

Concerning the causes of death, as returned by the enumerators, Dr. Billings observes that they have been obtained much more accurately than in any preceding census, owing to the very general aid and coöperation of the physicians of the country in revising and correcting the enumerators' returns with reference to this point. The following summary of some of the more important causes of death is appended, as of general interest.

Diphtheria.-The number of cases of deaths reported as due to diphtheria is: Males, 18,S49; females, 19,549; total, 38,398; giving a proportion of 52.32 per thousand of all deaths in which the causes are reported. The total number of deaths from diphtheria under one year of age was 2,893; under five years of age, 20,035; between five and fifteen years of age, 16,162.

In the North Atlantic region, the proportion of deaths from diphtheria to the total number of deaths having recorded causes was 51.29 per thousand, being in the cities (New Haven, Boston, Cambridge, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, and Providence,) 46.71 per thousand, and in the remainder of the group, including the smaller towns and rural districts, 53.80 per thousand.

In the Gulf coast region the proportion of deaths from diphtheria was 12.16 per thousand, being in the city of New Orleans 13.74 and in the remainder of the group, 12.27 per thousand.

In the Lake region the proportion of deaths from diphtheria was 81.15 per thousand of all deaths reported, being in the cities (Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and Toledo,) 78.15, and in the remainder of the group, 84.10 per thousand.

Enteric Fever.-The total number of deaths from enteric (typhoid) fever reported is: Males, 11.852; females, 11,053; total, 22,905; being in the proportion of 31.21 per thousand of all deaths having reported causes. The total number of deaths from this disease under one year of age was 654; under five years, 2,707; from five to fifteen years, 3,952; from fifteen to sixty years, 13,945; over sixty years of age, 2,218.

In the North Atlantic region the proportion of deaths from enteric fever to the total number of deaths having recorded causes was 18.64 per thousand, being in the larger cities (for list of which see above) 13.26, and in the smaller towns and rural districts, 19.95 per thousand.

In the Gulf coast region the proportion of deaths from this disease was 22.01 per thousand, being in the city of New Orleans 7.67, and in the remaining portion of the group, 30.02 per thousand.

In the Lake region the proportion of deaths from this disease was 22 28 per thousand of all deaths reported, being in the large cities, 17.16, and in the remainder of the group, 27.31 per thousand.

It will be seen from these figures that neither diphtheria nor enteric fever are especially diseases of the large cities. They appear to be more prevalent in the small towns and rural districts which have no general water-supply or systems of sewerage, but obtain their water from springs and wells, and observe the usual custom of storing excreta in cesspools or vaults.

Malarial Fevers.-The total number of deaths reported as due to malarial fevers is: Males, 10,276; females, 9,935; total, 20.261; giving a proportion of 27.61 per thousand of all deaths from reported causes. The total number of deaths from these fevers under one year of age was 2,002; under five years, 6,182; from five to fifteen years, 3,482; from fifteen to sixty years, 7,909; sixty years and over, 2,623.

In the North Atlantic region the proportion of deaths from malarial fever to all deaths recorded was 4.56 per thousand, being in the cities 3.02 and in the remainder of the group 5.40 per thousand.

In the Gulf coast region the proportion of deaths from this disease was 65.85 per thousand, being in the city of New Orleans 44.81, and in the remaining portion of the group, 77.61 per thousand.

In the Lake region the proportion of deaths from these fevers was 9.74 per thousand, being for the large cities 8.27 and for the remainder of the group, 11.18 per thousand.

Consumption. This is the cause of death to which the greatest number of cases are referred in the records, there being reported 40,619 males and 50,932 females as dying of this disease, giving a proportion of 124.75 per thousand of all deaths having reported causes, or a little over 12 per cent. Taking the same groups used above, we find in the North Atlantic region, in the cities, consumption caused 150.55 per thousand of all cases of reported deaths, and in the remainder of the group 172.77 per thousand, giving an average of 164.89 per thousand.

In the Gulf coast region it caused in New Orleans 152.11 per thousand, and in the remainder of the group 97.66 per thousand, the average being 117.18 per thousand.

In the Lake region it caused in the cities 97.66, and in the rural districts 130.22 per thousand, giving an average of 114.08 per thousand.

It will be seen from these figures that in the North Atlantic and Lake regions the mortality from consumption is highest in the small towns and rural districts, while on the Gulf coast the mortality is greatest in the city of New Orleans, in which it is higher than in the northern cities. This is probably due to the fact that New Orleans is not sewered or drained as are the northern cities,. and has the soil-water very near the surface.

In the following tables Illinois is divided, by the Census Office, into three sections or groups of counties, to-wit :

72 38 31 51 37

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