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Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science 



from tuberculosis than in deaths from typhoid. Nevertheless the black 

 counties of figure 5 have over three times the mortality in proportion 

 to population as have the white counties. The two highest counties 

 (Jefferson 261, Parke 246) have 5.7 times the average rate of two other 

 counties (Benton 35.4, Lagrange 54). 



Tuberculosis is spread by direct contact, and reflects low resistance, 

 ignorance and lack of proper food and health habits. Figure 5 reveals 

 a conspicuous contrast between the southeastern half of the state and 

 the northwestern half. An adequate explanation of this contrast is 

 not available, but figures 6, 7, 8 and 10 are interesting in this con- 

 nection. Figure 6 shows the four counties having most negroes, and 



Fig. 6. The negro population of four 

 counties exceeds six per cent (Floyd 6, Van- 

 derburgh 7, Marion 9, Clark 9). 



Fig. 8. Relative areas of waste land ac- 

 cording to counties, as reported by the county 

 assessors. Crossed counties 1/8 to 1/12 

 waste, white counties less, black counties 

 more. 



are the only counties in which the negroes make up as many as three 

 per cent of the population, excepting Lake County which had 4.5 per 

 cent in 1920. Each of these counties has a high death rate, partly 

 because negroes suffer severely from tuberculosis. Figures 7 and 8 

 reflect contrasts in poverty, poor diet and low resistance. Figure 10, 

 showing the change in population in the thirty years, 1890 to 1920, 

 shows some similarity to figure 5. The counties that have lost popula- 

 tion or stood still are largely in the southern section of the state, where 

 tuberculosis is reported as especially pi-evalent. None of the large cities 

 however have a low death rate from tuberculosis, perhaps because of 

 their large negro populations, their congestion, their dust and their 

 soot, for all of these increase the death rate from tuberculosis. 



