267 –5,738

lornajarrettblanchard January 1, 1931

— 5,738 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1931. Washington: 1935, p. 167.

— 203 AL U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1931. Washington: 1935, p. 171.

— 27 AZ “ p. 178.

— 267 AR “ p. 181. Had largest rate increase, 5.6 to 14.3, which was highest rate.

— 180 CA “ p. 187.

— 31 CO “ p. 194.

— 14 CT “ p. 198.

— 18 DE “ p. 202.

— 36 DC “ p. 206.

— 73 FL “ p. 211.

— 166 GA “ p. 217.

— 22 HI “ p. 469.

— 15 ID “ p. 223.

— 381 IL “ p. 227.

— 138 IN “ p. 231.

— 50 IA “ p. 236.

— 71 KS “ p. 240.

— 349 KY “ p. 244.

— 135 LA “ p. 250.

— 20 ME “ p. 256.

— 66 MD “ p. 260.

— 131 MA “ p. 266.

— 173 MI “ p. 270.

— 38 MN “ p. 275.

— 238 MS “ p. 279.

— 251 MO “ p. 285.

— 7 MT “ p. 289.

— 48 NE “ p. 292.

— 0 NV “ p. 296.

— 14 NH “ p. 300.

— 123 NJ “ p. 303.

— 46 NM “ p. 305.

— 283 NY “ p. 311.

— 244 NC “ p. 316.

— 19 ND “ p. 322.

— 188 OH “ p. 326.

— 293 OK “ p. 330.

— 17 OR “ p. 336.

— 365 PA “ p. 340.

— 33 RI “ p. 345.

— 93 SC “ p. 349.

— 18 SD “ p. 355.

— 277 TN “ p. 359.

— ? TX (Texas was the only non-registration State in the 1931 Census report.)

— 21 Dallas, TX. U.S. Census. Mortality Statistics 1931. Washington: 1935, p. 434-35.

— 6 El Paso, TX. “ p. 435.

— 12 Fort Worth “ p. 436.

— 16 Houston, TX “ p. 436-37.

— 17 San Antonio “ p. 437.

— 15 UT “ p. 366.

— 4 VT “ p. 369.

— 227 VA “ p. 373.

— 35 WA “ p. 380.

— 166 WV “ p. 384.

— 55 WI “ p. 388.

— 3 WY “ p. 392.

Table 10. Causes of Death, by Month of Occurrence[1]

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

573 378 366 300 242 207 186 264 469 912 931 910

Narrative Information

U.S. Census: “Diphtheria is primarily a disease of childhood; of the deaths from this cause in 1931, 59 percent of the total were deaths of children under 5 years of age….The total number of deaths in 193l from diphtheria was 5,738, a rate of 4.8 per 100,000 population [4.9 in 1930 and 15.3 in 1920]. In 1900 the death rate in the registration area was 43.3. If the actual number of deaths in 1931 be compared with the number that would have occurred under the prevailing death rate in 1900, in round numbers, there would be shown a saving of 46,000 lives in 1931 to be credited to the advancement made in the treatment and prevention of the disease.

“Twenty-eight States had lower rates in 1931 than in 1930. Arkansas had the largest increase (14.3 in 1931, compared with 5.6 in 1930) and it also had the highest rate. Seven States had rates of less than 2 per 100,000 population: Connecticut (0.9); Vermont (1.1); Montana and Wyoming (1.3 each); Minnesota (1.5); Oregon (1.8); and Wisconsin (1.9). Nevada had no deaths from diphtheria in 1931.

“Rates for cities of 100,000 or-more offer contrasts still more striking than the rates for States. In 1920, 32 cities had rates of 20 or more per 100,000 populations; in 1930, only 1 city (Somerville) reached that figure; and in 1931, only Tulsa approached it, with a rate of 18.5. Four cities had no deaths from diphtheria: Duluth, Gary, Grand Rapids, and Portland, Oreg.

“Among States showing figures for the colored population, the rates were lower for the colored than for the white except in the States of Maryland and Virginia. These favorable rates for the colored do not prevail to the same extent in cities of 100,000 population or more, although 8 cities (Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla., Kansas City, Kans., Kansas City, Mo., Miami, Nashville, and Tampa) had no deaths from diphtheria in the colored population in 1931.” (pp. 19-20)

Source

United States Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. Mortality Statistics 1931 (Thirty-Second Annual Report). Washington: GPO, 1935. Accessed 10-24-2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/mortstatsh_1931.pdf

[1] U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1931, p. 441.