Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1908 — Death Rate is Too Low. [ARTICLE]

Death Rate is Too Low.

It is an unusual thing for a health officer to complain because the death rate is too low, but that is what J. N. Hurty, secretary erf the state board of health, has done in the matter of Jasper county, He is not sorry that our death rate is low, but he considers it so very remarkable that it is so low that he fears the death records are imperfectly kept. Since the first of last January the monthly death rate in Jasper has been only about ten to the thousand, whereas in the normal healthy county it is in the neighborhood of 16. Dr. Hurty says that it is not so unusual for a county to have one or two months with a death rate below ten, but it. is remarkable for it to continue month after month. The county health officer attributes the cause of the small death rate to the excellent health of infants. The summer generally causes much sickness of the nature of cholera infantum among infants and many deaths result, but this disease has been very rare throughout the country this yenr, very few deaths resulting. There has, to be sure, been a very small death rate. But, fearing that some of the persons charged with the responsibility for making the reports have failed Jn their duty. Dr. Gwin, the county health officer intends to exercise every vigilance in the future.