104 BIOLOGY OF DEATH 



a biological classification. Its first group, for example, 

 called " General Diseases,' which caused in 1916 in the 

 Registration Area of the United States approximately 

 one-fourth of all the deaths, is a most curious biological 

 and clinical melange. It includes such diverse entities as 

 measles and malaria, tetanus and tuberculosis, cancer 

 and gonococcus infection, alcoholism and goiter, and 

 many other unlike causes of death. For the purposes of 

 the statistical registrar it perhaps has useful points to 

 make this "General Diseases' grouping, but it clearly 

 corresponds to nothing natural in the biological world. 

 Again in such parts of the scheme as do have some 

 biological foundation the basis is different in different 

 rubrics. Some have an organological basis, while others 

 have a causational. 



For purposes of biological analysis, I developed some 

 time ago an entirely different classification of the causes 

 of death, on what appears ,to be a reasonably consistent 

 basis.* The underlying idea of this new classification 

 was to group all causes of death under the heads of the 

 several organ systems of the body, the functional break- 

 down of which is the immediate or predominant cause of 

 the cessation of life. All except a few of the statistically 

 recognized causes of death in the International Classifi- 

 cation can be assigned places in such a biologically 



* It should be clearly understood that I am not advocating a new 

 classification of the causes of death for statistical use. I should oppose 

 vigorously any attempt to substitute a new classification (mine or any 

 other) for the International List now in use. Uniformity in statistical 

 classification is essential to usable, practical vital statistics. Such uni- 

 formity has now become well established through the International Classi- 

 fication. It would be most undesirable to make any radical changes in the 

 Classification now. I have made a rearrangement of the causes of death, for 

 the purposes of a specific biological problem, and no other. I am not 

 "proposing a new classification of vital statistics" for official or any other 

 use except the one to which it is here put. 



