1 88 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



Women tend to be more "fleshy" than men, i.e., to accumulate fat, 

 and fat people are not so likely to become tubercular as thin people. 

 Tuberculosis and Occupation. — Before discussing the relation of 

 tuberculosis and occupation, it is well to point out some facts which 

 should influence our interpretation of registration figures. Thus 

 in England and Wales in 1901, tuberculosis was responsible for 17 

 per cent of all deaths of "occupied" males and 58 per cent of unoccu- 

 pied males, between the ages of 25 and 65 years. This does not 

 mean, as might be inferred, that it is three times as dangerous to be 

 "unoccupied" as "occupied." As a matter of fact most of those 

 in any community who are "unoccupied" are those who are either 

 ill or not strong. Also it is to be noted that those who are naturally 

 not strong are able to engage in certain rather light work and such 

 occupations will therefore show high mortality from tuberculosis. 

 This explains the high rate among hotel waiters. Also there are 

 certain trades where men of naturally weak constitutions could not 



TABLE VI 



Proportional Mortality (Percentage of All Deaths) Due to Pulmonary 

 Tuberculosis among Males in Certain Occupations for Age 

 Period 25 to 34 in the Registration Area of the 

 United States During the Year 1908* 



Occupation Proportional Mortality 



Compositors, printers, pressmen 49 1 



Bookkeepers and clerks 42 



TaUors 41 



Mill and factory operatives 40 



Machinists 36 



AU occupations (average) 31 



Merchants and dealers 31 



Laborers 30 



BlacksmithsJ 27 



Fanners and farm laborersj 26 



PolicemenJ 22 



• Compiled from Bull. 104, Bureau of the Census. 



t This means that of all the compositors, printers and pressmen who died in the registration area of the 

 United States in the year 1908, 49 per cent, or nearly one-half, died of pulmonary tuberculosis. 



X These persons evidently belong to a selected class. Only those naturally strong would attempt the 

 kind of work demanded. Besides this it is perfectly evident that work in these occupations should serve to 

 build up bodily strength. 



