There was a slight preponderance of cases among males, 84 males and 79 females being attacked. The ages of the patients ranged from 5 months to 81 years, but the largest number, proportionately, fell in the 5-15 year age group. The age incidence and vaccinal condition of the patients are given in the following table: 1 Including 2 revaccinated during incubation period. * Including 1 revaccinated during incubation period. *Including 1 revaccinated during incubation period. It is seen that of the 163 cases 107 had never been vaccinated; and to this number should be added the 23 patients unvaccinated at the time of exposure, making 130 unvaccinated patients. Of the 33 vaccinated, all vaccinations had been done in infancy, and three had been revaccinated 16, 29, and 40 years previously. The table shows that only two vaccinated patients under 30 years of age contracted the disease, one of them being 27 and the other 28 years old. As regards contacts, one case occurred in the local infirmary and the remaining 162 cases occurred in 155 houses, of which there were 568 inmates. Of these inmates, 371 were vaccinated and 197 unvaccinated at the time the cases were reported. Of the 371 vaccinated contacts, only 6 developed the disease; whereas of the 197 unvaccinated no fewer than 30 contracted it. These figures present rather convincing proof of the case for vaccination. Reckon It was impossible in many cases to determine the length of the incubation period, as many of the contacts who developed smallpox had already been exposed to the infection for some days; but where the original case was notified shortly after the appearance of the eruption, it was possible to make a fairly accurate estimate. ing the incubation period by the time elapsing between disinfection of the premises after removal of a patient and the appearance of the eruption in the next victim, the periods varied from 10 to 19 days, the average being 14 days. DEATH RATES IN A GROUP OF INSURED PERSONS. COMPARISON OF DEATH RATES FOR PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF DEATH, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1923, AND RATES FOR WHITE AND COLORED FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1921, 1922, AND 1923. The accompanying tables are taken from the Statistical Bulletin of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. for October, 1923. They present the mortality experience of the industrial insurance department of the company for August and September, 1923, and a comparison of the rates for white and colored policyholders for the first nine months of the years 1921, 1922, and 1923. The rates for 1923 are based on a strength of over 14,000,000 insured persons. The death rate for the month of September, 1923 (7.1 per 1,000), is stated to be the lowest recorded among this group of persons for any month of this or any other year. Although the mortality for a few diseases increased during September over August and over September of last year, the rates for all of the diseases suggest a favorable health situation. Death rates (annual basis) for principal causes of death per 100,000 lives exposed, August and September, 1923. Among the white persons of this group the death rate for all causes for the first nine months of 1923 was 8.5 per 1,000 as compared with 8.4 for the corresponding period of 1922 and 8.2 for the similar period of 1921. The death rate for the third quarter of 1923, 7.4 per 1,000, is stated to be the lowest mortality rate for this group ever recorded by the company for any quarterly period. Rates for the third quarters of other years are given as follows: 1922, 7.5; 1921, 7.8; 1916, 10.7; and 1913, 10.9. In each year the third quarter has had the lowest mortality of any quarter of the year. For the first nine months of 1923, 323 deaths from alcoholism were recorded, corresponding to a rate of 3 per 100,000, as compared with 202 deaths (a rate of 2 per 100,000) during the corresponding period of 1922, and with 293 deaths from this cause during the entire year 1922. Since January 1, 1922, 616 deaths from alcoholism have been reported in this group of persons, of which number 611 occurred in the United States and 5 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Death rates (annual basis) for principal causes of death per 100,000 lives exposed, for white and colored policyholders, first nine months of 1921, 1922, 1925. [Industrial department, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.] DEATHS DURING WEEK ENDED NOVEMBER 3, 1923. Summary of information received by telegraph from industrial insurance companies for week ended Nov. 3, 1923, and corresponding week of 1922. (From the Weekly Health Index, Nov. 6, 1923, issued by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.) Death claims per 1,000 policies in force, annual rate..... Deaths from all causes in certain large cities of the United States during the week ended Nov. 3, 1923, infant mortality, annual death rate, and comparison with corresponding week of 1922. (From the Weekly Health Index, Nov. 6, 1923, issued by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.) 1 Annual rate per 1,000 population. 6,649 11.8 12.2 862 846 9.0 10.5 4 2 33 14.7 14. 4 3 70 16. 4 14.5 4 13.3 51 204 20 82 * Deaths under 1 year per 1,000 births-an annual rate based on deaths under 1 year for the week and estimated births for 1922. Cities left blank are not in the registration area for births. * Deaths for week ended Friday, Nov. 2, 1923. 66790°-23-2 |