YEARS. Of the 161 decedents, 88 were males and 73 females; 71 were of American, and 90 of foreign parentage; 133 were under the age of one year, 21 were between 1 and 2 years of age, and 5 were between 2 and 5. In regard to season, one death was reported in February, 2 in March, one in April, one in May, 3 in June, 144, or about 89.4 per cent., in the months of July, August and September, and 9 during the rest of the year. The deaths from cholera infantum were more equally distributed, in 1879, than in previous years, Washington county showing the greatest exemption, that is, one decedent to every 3,751 of the population. The proportion is larger in Washington county than in 1878. The following Table shows the whole number of reported deaths from cholera infantum; the sex and parentage of the decedents, in each of the larger divisions of the State, in each of the last fifteen years: Providence County, Towns. Providence Washington County. During the last fifteen years there have been reported in Rhode Island, 3,159 decedents from cholera infantum, of which 1,644 were males, and 1,515 were females; or 108.5 males to each 100 females; or 52.3 males and 47.7 females in each 100 decedents. Of the whole number, 1,442 were of American, and 1,717 were of foreign parentage; or 45.64 per cent. American, and 54.36 per cent. foreign parentage; or 119.21 decedents of foreign to each 100 of American parentage. CONSUMPTION. There were reported in Rhode Island, in 1879, 637 decedents from consumption. This number is smaller by 39 than in 1878, and smaller than during any one of the four previous years. The number reported in 1878, 676, was the largest ever reported in the State, although the proportion to the whole number of decedents from all named causes, that is, 15.98 per cent., was smaller than the average of nineteen years, inclusive of 1878, which was 16.96 per cent. The proportion of deaths from consumption in 1879, in relation to all known causes of death, was 15.10 per cent. This is smaller, as will be noticed, by nearly two per cent., than the average of the previous nineteen years. Of the 637 decedents from consumption, the sex and parentage were as follows: In regard to sex, 286 were males, and 351 were females; the proportion standing 44.88 males, and 55.12 females in each 100; or 122.7 females to each 100 males. In regard to parentage, 278 were of American, and 359 of foreign parentage; the proportions, 43.64 American, and 56.36 foreign, in each 100; or 129.14 foreign to each 100 of American parentage. In regard to season, the largest number of deaths occurred in the first quarterly division of the year, and the smallest number in the second, as will be seen by the following summary: The largest number in any one month was 70, in January; the next largest, 68, in the month of March. In a series of years, the month of May stands first in the order of greatest mortality from consump tion. In May, 1879, there was the unusually small number of 47, and in June only 36, the smallest mortality from consumption of any month in the year. Consumption is confined to no period of life, but the greatest mortality is found in the most active period of adult age; that is, from 20 to 40. For instance, in 1879, of the 637 decedents from consumption, 186, or about 29.3 per cent., were between 20 and 30 years of age, and 119, or 18.7 per cent., between 30 and 40, making 48 per cent., or nearly half the whole number of decedents. This proportion is less than that of 1878, which was about 53.0 per cent., or more than half. The relation of mortality from consumption to age, may be seen very readily in the following synopsis: The distribution of mortality from consumption, in the different sections of the State, is very unequal, not only in the percentage to the whole number of deaths in each section, but also in proportion to the population. The largest percentage of mortality from consumption, to total given causes of death, in 1879, was in Washington county; that is, 21.83 per cent.; the smallest, in Newport courty towns, about eleven per cent. The subject of proportions will be taken up again, in remarks on Table LIII. The following Table shows the total deaths from all reported known causes, with the number and percentage of deaths from consumption, in each of the larger divisions of the State, and in the whole State, in each of the last sixteen years, and in the aggregate for a period of twenty years, from 1860 to 1879, inclusive: TABLE LIII.-CONSUMPTION.-Number and Percentage. 1864. 1865. 1866. 1867. 1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 168 190, 162 144 129 165 146 150 184 173 159 162 148 201 187 141 20 20 31 18, 21 26 26 16 23 16 18 21 19 27 23 16 11.90 10.52 19.13 12.50 16.28 15.76 17.81 10.67 12.50 9.24 11.32 12.97 12.83 13.43 12.30 11.35 255 238 198 214 168 265 238 281 248 241 252 263 209 251 249 277 46 41 41 561 38 50 46 63 33 42 32 43 28 42 41 38 18.04 17.22 20.70 26.17 22.62 18.86 19.33 22.42 13.30 17.43 12.69 16.35 13.39 16.73 16.47 13.72 372 336 342 302 289 259 271 214 366 221 277 280 243 265 330 48 51 52 47 43 40 37 44 26 41 45 33 31 45 12.90 15.15 15.18 15.56 14.88 15.44 13.66 10.75 11.06 12.02 11.77 14.80 16.07 13.58 11.69 13.64 262 6,017 29 to 870 990 883! 902 779 912 964 989 1,331 1,389 1,217 1,230 1,110 1,391 1,308 1,233 146 190 171 210 158 180 172 195 221 197 139 201 211 222 229 197 16.78 19.19 19.36 23.28 20.29 19.74 17.84 19.72 16.73 14.18 11.42 16.34 19.01 15.96 17.51 15.98 Total Deaths. Consumption. |