78 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 1 



In the 9 years shown in table 15 there were 806 

 deaths in Quiroga and its ranches. The absolute 

 number of deaths and also the rate are about one- 

 half of what obtained in the second half of the 

 nineteenth century. The outstanding fact is the 

 practical elimination of smallpox, owing primarily 

 to the extensive governmental campaign of vacci- 

 nation during the past 20 years. Also, deaths 

 from pneumonia, fevers, and whooping cough, 

 and infant deaths were materially reduced. Much 

 of this probably represents the presence of at least 

 one doctor in residence ever since 1936 when the 

 Servicio Medico Ejidal was established in Quiroga 

 under Dr. Carlos Ramirez Parraguirre 1936-39, 

 and continued under Dr. Ai'turo H. Rasc6n 

 1939-41. Dr. Rasc6n returned in 1944 and took 

 up private practice in Quiroga. About 1937 to 

 1940 a doctor of the Secretaria de Comunicaciones 

 y Obras Publicas was in Quiroga whde the main 

 highway from Mexico City to Guadalajara was 

 being improved in this area. Since 1941 usually 

 there has been one doctor of the Servicio M6dico 

 Social resident in Quiroga. Although there is no 

 local hospital, the present improved communica- 

 tions make it a simple matter to get to hospitals 

 in Morelia, and there are two di'ug stores in Qui- 

 roga. Although a reduction in mortahty has been 

 coincident with the presence of physicians, it is 

 not certain that the diagnosis of causes of deaths 

 has improved materially. Only about 60 percent 

 of the death records are accompanied by a physi- 

 cian's certificate. This is because most of the 

 people in the ranchos and many of the poorer 

 people in town do not have a doctor in case of 

 illness, and this is especially ti'ue in the case of 

 sick babies and old people. Furthermore, entirely 

 too many deaths are attributed to agoiamiento or 

 exhaustion, including those of babies, middle- 

 aged, and old people. Also, there are still entered 

 such noncommittal causes as fever and vomito or 

 vomit (especially for babies). 



In 1937-45 (see table 15) the first 10 causes of 

 death (which comprise 68.7 percent of the total) 

 are: Diarrhea, 110; exhaustion, 103; bronchitis, 

 76; gastroenteritis, 59; violent deaths, 49; pneu- 

 monia, 47; hver disorders, 42; heart diseases, 23; 

 "vomit," 23; and malaria, 22. The next group of 10 

 includes: Grippe, 18; enteritis, 18; colic, 16; 

 measles, 16; fever, 15; whooping cough, 14; pre- 

 matm-e births and stillborns, 9; enterocolitis, 9; 

 cerebral hemorrhage, 9; and several diseases with 



eight cases each, such as childbirth, dysentery, 

 and tumors. The chief groupings are: Gastro- 

 intestinal diseases, 220; respiratory, 145; debility- 

 anemia, 116; contagious diseases, 80; violent 

 deaths, 49; diseases of the liver, 42; uncertain 

 causes, 31; and heart diseases, 23. It will be 

 noted that in the medical terminology diarrhea 

 has gained at the expense of dysentery, gastroen- 

 teritis is favored over enteritis and entrocolitis, 

 and that bronchitis has replaced pneumonia, and 

 grippe is used instead of influenza. Much of this 

 was caused by changes in certificate regulations 

 about 1926. 



For purposes of comparison we have regrouped 

 the causes of death according to the plan followed 

 by the Mexican Government in vital statistics. 

 However, the large and practically anonymous 

 group of deaths listed in Quiroga under such 

 headings as exhaustion, general exhaustion, senile 

 exhaustion, anemia, premature birth, congenital 

 debility, asphyxia, pain, fever, and vomit (and 

 also those with no cause of death indicated) we 

 have arbitrarily divided on the basis of age. The 

 infantile group includes all deaths from the above 

 "causes" in children under 2 years of age. The gen- 

 eral ill-health or cachexia group includes individuals 

 from 2 years of age (actually beginning about 5) 

 to 49, and the senile debility group has been re- 

 stricted to individuals of 50 or more years of age 

 (although one babe of 1 month and several indi- 

 viduals under 20 years were listed as dying of 

 senile exhaustion!). It has been assumed that the 

 average population of Quiroga and its ranchos was 

 4,000 for the period 1937-45. The total number 

 of deaths from a specified cause has been divided 

 by 9 to obtain the average number per year, and 

 this figure has been divided by 4 to obtain the 

 rate of death per 1,000 of population (table 16). 

 Comparisons in rank and rate for Alichoacdn and 

 Mexico as a whole are given for the specified 

 years (table 16). 



It is evident that due to distribution of Quiroga 

 deaths among senile exhaustion, infantile deaths, 

 and cachexia, not all of the rates are strictly 

 comparable. However, such causes as violent 

 deaths, malaria, measles, whooping cough, ty- 

 phoid, tuberculosis, smallpox, and alcoholism can 

 be compared. There seems to be a trend in 

 Quiroga to diagnose as bronchitis rather than 

 pneumonia, to stress enteritis at the expense of 



