U.S. Death Rate Decreasing

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1948, Page 4

U.S. Death Rate Decreasing

WASHINGTON, April 12. Fewer people are dying in America than ever before as a result of scores of new wonder drugs now in use. reports U.S. Surgeon-General Thomas Parran.

The mortality rate is down to a new low level of 10 persons per 1000 —the lowest since death registration statistics have been compiled.

Heart disease is America’s No; 1 killer, being responsible for 30.8 per cent, of deaths in 1946, but its threat is slowly declining. During the year there were 636,577 heart-disease deaths, compared with 182,005 from cancer, which is on the increase.

Dr Parran said that the electrokymograph, the first potential casefinding tool in heart-disease control, is proving its usefulness. Likewise, he reported, as a result of the successful trial of the sulfone drugs in treatment of leprosy, it became possible this year to bring hope to the victims of this disease for the first time in history. For the prevention of tuberculosis, Dr Parran holds out future hope to’ children in the use of the new vaccine, ,BCG, and another vaccine derived from ultra-violet rays prepared at the National Institute of Health.