The charts in this section show the trend of mortality in this country during 30 years at the various ages of life, and also the trend of mortality in the two great classes of diseases: the communicable, which affect more emphatically the young lives, and the degenerative or regressive class of diseases, which affect chiefly those in middle life and old age. It seems evident that unless this increased mortality is due to some unknown biologic influence or to the amalgamation of the various races that constitute our population, it must be ascribed, in a broad sense, to lack of adaptation to our rapidly developing civilization. Whether or not there is one principal cause that determines the unfavorable trend of mortality in this country as compared to other civilized nations has not yet been conclusively shown. [Illustration: INCREASES AND DECREASES IN DEATH RATE BY AGE PERIODS MASS. & N.J. 1880-1910 L.E.I. Inc. ENGLAND & WALES IN BROKEN LINE] This chart exhibits the trend of the death rate from all causes, by age periods. The decreases are below the center line and the increases above it. It will be noted that the American decreases in the younger ages were not as great as in England and Wales, that they changed to _increases_ about age 45 and continued to increase in each age group thereafter, while in England and Wales the decline _occurred at all ages_. NOTE.--Massachusetts and New Jersey are used as a basis because they were the only States in 1880 where sufficiently reliable comparative statistics could be had. These records were accepted by the national government, and these States really constituted the registration area in that year. There were also fifteen cities outside these States where comparisons were possible. [Illustration: DEATH RATE REGISTRATION AREA (PER 10,000 LIVING) ORGANIC DISEASES L.E.I. INC ENGLAND & WALES DOTTED LINES] This chart shows that in the United States registration area, the mortality from diseases of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys increased 41 per cent. during the period 1890-1910, while in England and Wales (shown by the dotted lines) during the same period there was a decrease in the mortality from these maladies. [Illustration: OCCUPIED MALES INCREASES-DECREASES FROM CERTAIN DISEASES] This chart comparing 1900 with 1890 (1900-1910 not yet available) shows the sharp upward trend in the mortality from organic disease among males in gainful occupations, and the downward trend in the mortality from communicable disease in the same group. This heavy and increasing loss from chronic disease occurs among our most valuable lives--those of the breadwinners. SECTION VIII COMPARISON OF DEGENERATIVE TENDENCIES AMONG NATIONS