325

1884

TABLE 28.-Number of patients treated, by sex, age groups, and general nativity and race—Continued.

Male.

Female.

Total.

Male.

Female.

Total.

Male.

Female.

Total.

Male.

Female.

Total.

Of the 23,758 persons included in the Commission's investigation, 2,196 were under 14 years of age, 1,310 were from 14 to 19, 5,886 were from 20 to 29, 5,937 were from 30 to 39, 4,343 were from 40 to 49, 2,371 were from 50 to 59, 1,182 were from 60 to 69, and 502 were 70 or over; 31 did not report age.

The table which follows shows for each race represented by 100 or more patients the proportion within each age group. Persons for whom age was not reported are omitted.

TABLE 29.-Per cent of patients within each specified age group, by general nativity and

race.

[This table includes only races with 100 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all patients for whom definite information relative to race and age was secured.]

Remarkably large proportions of children are shown for certain races among the patients reported as native-born of foreign father. Among Italians of the second generation 78 per cent of the patients were children under 14 years of age. The Hebrews of the second generation follow, with 71 per cent. The next highest per cent within that age group is 14.9, shown by the whites native-born of native father. Among the foreign-born included in the above table the Russian Hebrews, with 7 per cent under 14 years of age, show the largest proportion of children. The Italians, with 5.4 per cent, are second in order. Among the 139 foreign-born Greek patients there were none under 14 years of age, and among the 4,564 foreign-born Irish there were only 10, or 0.2 per cent, within that age group.

Of the total number included in the table, 7.1 per cent were 60 years of age or over. The proportion 60 or over was 3.4 per cent among the native-born and 10.5 per cent among the foreign-born. The foreign-born Germans, with 19 per cent, have the highest proportion 60 years of age or over. The foreign-born Irish, with 14.7 per cent, are second in order. The smallest proportion 60 years of age or over among the foreign-born is 0.7 per cent, which is reported by both the Greeks and the negroes.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

For the period covered and the hospitals included in the Commission's investigation the proportion of patients of races of recent immigration from southern and eastern Europe was much smaller than is popularly believed to be the case. Slightly more than one-half of all the patients included in this investigation were persons of foreign birth. Five-eighths of all foreign-born patients belong to races of the older immigration. More than two-thirds of the patients belonging to races of the older immigration are Irish or German and more than two-thirds of the patients belonging to races of recent immigration are Hebrew or Italian. More than one-half of the foreign-born patients and almost three-fourths of the patients who are immigrants of the second generation (native-born of foreign father) are Irish or German. Of all foreign-born patients 17.9 per cent had been in the United States less than three years and 38.1 per cent had been here twenty years or over. One-third of the patients born in southern and eastern Europe had been in the United States less than three years. Approximately 55 per cent of the patients born in northern and western Europe had been in the United States twenty years or over.

A much larger number of patients were treated for alcoholism than for any other one cause; this was true among the native-born patients as well as among those of foreign birth. The proportion treated for this cause was 25.5 per cent of the native-born and 18.2 per cent of the foreign-born. Among patients of races from northern and western Europe 28.3 per cent of the cases were treated for alcoholism, and among patients of races from southern and eastern Europe only per cent were treated for this cause.

1.4

The proportion treated for insanity was 6.8 per cent among patients born in northern and western Europe and 8.6 per cent among patients born in southern and eastern Europe.

No statistics showing the population of New York City by nativity groups are available for a later date than 1900. The population in that year as reported by the United States Census was 3,437,202. The number of native-born persons was 2,167,122, or 63 per cent of the total, and the number of foreign-born was 1,270,080, or 37 per cent of the total. Approximately two-thirds of the native-born were immigrants of the second generation (native-born of foreign father). The proportion of foreign-born in New York City is doubtless now considerably greater than it was in 1900. The total population as reported by the census of 1910 is 4,766,883. The Thirteenth Census is the first one which has undertaken to enumerate the population according to race or people (mother tongue). As soon as the census figures are compiled it will be possible to compare the proportion which the patients of any race form of the total number treated in the charity hospitals, as set forth in this report, with the proportion which that race forms of the total population of New York City.