EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



271 



falling rather rapidly. The first 5 years of the 

 period accounted for 181 deaths and the last 

 5 years only 145, giving averages of 32.1 and 

 25.7 respectively. It would be tempting to 

 speculate that the opening of the highway, 

 making possible easier visits to doctors, was the 

 cause of this difference. The years 1931 to 

 1934, however (which have not been used in 

 the remaining calculations) show an average of 



deaths, and July and August, in the middle of 

 the rainy season, show the most, with the ex- 

 ception of April, which stands out beyond all 

 other months. With this exception, at first glance 

 very puzzling, it is apparent that the rainy sea- 

 son from June through September is a bit more 

 dangerous than the dry season. Local supersti- 

 tion says that the period following the Rescate 

 fiesta, which falls in February or March, is that 



Table 49. — Tzintzuntzan deaths by months, 1935-44 



Table 50. — Deaths by ages in Tzintzuntzan, 1935-44 



only 31.5 deaths a year, not much greater than 

 the 1940-44 period. This suggests either that 

 the years 1933-39 constituted a peak in a natu- 

 ral cycle or that in the earlier years registra- 

 tion of deaths was not as complete as in later 

 years. 



Table 49 shows deaths by months for each 

 of the 10 years, and the total. February, in the 

 middle of the dry season, shows the fewest 



of most sickness and death. The high rate for 

 April suggests that this belief is based on fact. 

 In view of the almost complete lack of sanitary 

 facilities, the enormous crowds, and the dry- 

 ness coupled with winds to blow germs about, 

 it is not surprising that this is the case. 



Table 50 shows the deaths by ages for the 

 10-year period under consideration. It is ap- 

 palling to note that 145, or nearly half of the 



