THE CAUSES OF DEATH 105 



grouped list. It has a sound logical foundation in the 

 fact that, biologically considered, death results because 

 some organ system, or group of organ systems, fails to 

 continue its functions. 



The headings finally decided upon in the new classi- 

 fication were as follows: 



I. Circulatory system, blood and blood-forming organs. 



II. Respiratory system. 



III. Primary and secondary sex organs. 



IV. Kidneys and related excretory organs. 

 V. Skeletal and muscular systems. 



VI. Alimentary tract and associated organs concerned in metabolism. 



VII. Nervous system and sense organs. 



VIII. Skin. 



IX. Endocrinal system. 



X. All other causes of death. 



The underlying idea of this rearrangement of the 

 causes of death is to put all tho^e lethal entities together 

 which bring about death because of the functional organic 

 breakdown of the same general organ system. The cause 

 of this functional breakdown may be anything whatever 

 in the range of pathology. It may be due to bacterial 

 infection ; it may be due to trophic disturbances ; it may 

 be due toj mechanical disturbances which prevent the 

 continuation of normal function; or to any cause what- 

 soever. In other words the basis of the classification is 

 not that of pathological causation, but it is rather that 

 of organological breakdown. We are now looking at 

 the question of death from the standpoint of the biologist, 

 who concerns himself not with what causes a cessation of 

 function, but rather with what part of the organism ceases 

 to function, and therefore causes death. 



In a series of papers already published I have given 

 a detailed account of this classification, and the reasoning 

 on which particular causes of death are placed in it where 



