Geographic Variations in Typhoid, Etc. 61 



rate of only about 50 per cent more deaths than the white counties. 

 However, Jefferson County has over twice the rate of Benton and 

 Adams counties. 



The larger cities make themselves evident on this map, most of 

 them causing their counties to be blackened. The average death rate 

 from all causes, including accidents, in Indianapolis is more than 50 

 per cent more than the average for the state. Part of this, however, is 

 due to the fact that many residents of the country and small villages 

 die in city hospitals. Yet they are reported for the city in which they 

 die. This defect in our law helps explain why Parke County, with 

 its large tuberculosis hospital and several other counties with large 

 hospitals have an abnormally high death rate. 



The low death rate from some of the poorest counties in the state 

 may be partly due to the fact that they have lost many of their young 

 married people, those having children. The death rate among infants 

 is of course far higher than is the rate among adults. The decrease in 

 child bearing in rural districts, in spite of occasional large families, 

 is indicated by statistics given in the Yearbook for 1922, which reveal 

 that both the death rate and the birth rate in rural districts is lower 

 than in cities. But the ratio of births to deaths is about the same, about 

 twice as many births as deaths. 



Comparison of figure 11 with the other maps may be made with 

 interest. For example, figures 10 and 11 show that of the 21 white 

 counties of figure 11, six lost population between 1890 and 1920, 12 

 remained about stationary and only 3 made appreciable gains. Most 

 of the counties that doubled in population between 1890 and 1920 have 

 high death rates. 



Many other comparisons might be drawn, but space and time pro- 

 hibit. It is hoped, however, that this study of the distribution of dis- 

 eases and deaths in Indiana will be carried further, with advantage to 

 those who follow us. 



