3i8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



for the state of New York.^ In 1910, at the age period 45 to 49, the 

 death rate among native-born white males was 16.6 per 1,000, whereas 

 the rate for the same age period among foreign-born white males was 

 17.7 per 1,000, or an excess of 6.6 per cent, for the foreign-born. For 

 the age periods 55 to 59, the two rates are 27.0 and 35.4, respectively, 

 showing an excess of 13.2 per cent, in the mortality of the foreign-bom 

 white males over the native-born. This excess is marked throughout 

 all the advanced age periods. The advantage in favor of native-born 

 females over foreign-born females is equally striking and begins at an 

 even earlier age period in middle life. Conditions similar to the above 

 have been noted in the vital statistics for the registration area of the 

 United States. This would indicate that the foreign-born whites as 

 well as the native-born of foreign parentage show, at all higher age 

 periods, and for both sexes, a mortality largely in excess of that of the 

 native-born of native parentage. 



The statistics of the degenerative diseases indicate, furthermore, 

 that the nativity factor plays an important part in determining the 

 death rates from these diseases. Thus, both in the registration states and 

 cities where this subject has been studied, it has been found that the 

 native-born of native parentage show almost uniformly a lower incidence 

 from Bright's disease, diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver than do the 

 foreign-born and their children. The rates, to be sure, vary consider- 

 ably with the different nationalities ; but taken as a group, the foreign- 

 born apparently show a lower resistance to the degenerative processes 

 which these diseases imply. Is it to be wondered at, therefore, that 

 the death rates for large cities and states in the registration area show 

 increases in mortality at the higher age groups ? In view of the marked 

 changes that have occurred in the composition and characteristics of 

 our population, it would indeed be surprising if these changes in mor- 

 tality had not occurred. 



It is not the intention of this paper to touch upon immigration as 

 one of our national problems except to state what we should know with 

 regard to our mortality rates; namely, that our large centers of popu- 

 lation are showing unfavorable mortality tendencies after middle life 

 and that in all probability these tendencies are dependent upon the 

 character of our immigration. 



This conclusion does not in any way make unnecessary the caution and 

 advice which the associates of the Life Extension Institute and other hy- 

 gienists have taught us. It has already been demonstrated that much can 

 be accomplished by emphasizing the necessity for more careful personal 

 hj'^giene. This will affect not only our o^vn native stock, but also the 

 foreign race stocks in our population. Indeed, if a full return is to be 

 received from our campaigns for life extension, it is necessary that an 

 attempt be made to instruct the foreign population in the principles of 



3 Thirty-third Annual Eeport, New York State Dept. of Health, pp. 254-55. 



