Mental diseases: a public health problem — John Shaqi
Mental diseases: a public health problemMay, James Vance
Science
Mental diseases: a public health problem
May, James Vance
Mental health services; Psychology, Pathological
The death rate for syphilis, locomotor ataxia and general paralysis of
the insane, combined, was 14.3 per 100,000. The percentage of deaths
due to diseases of the nervous system, many of which must be looked
upon as probably having been associated with mental disturbances, is
somewhat surprising, as shown by the following table:
Encephalitis 1.0
Meningitis 7.8
Locomotor ataxia 1.5
Acute anterior poliomyelitis 3.5
Other diseases of the spinal cord 4.0
Cerebral hemorrhage (apoplexy) 68.1
Softening of the brain .9
Paralysis without specified cause 5.2
General paralysis of the insane 4.1
Other forms of mental alienation 1.4
Epilepsy 3.5
Convulsions (non-puerperal) .2
Chorea .2
Neuralgia and neuritis .6
Other diseases of the nervous system 2.5
This shows a total rate of 104.5 per 100,000 due to diseases of the
nervous system. If to this we add those dying of senility and the
suicides as probably representing psychoses it would bring the total
up to 123.2 per 100,000. It must be confessed, however, that such
speculations mean comparatively little.
Practically the only other source of information at our disposal
relative to the incidence of general diseases in the community is the
tabulation of communicable diseases by Boards of Heath. The annual
report of the United States Public Health Service for 1919 shows a
case rate for diphtheria of 137 per 100,000 of the population based
on the reports of thirty-seven states. The case rate for measles in
thirty-seven states was 170. Poliomyelitis in thirty states showed a
rate of 2.5 and scarlet fever a rate of 110 in thirty-seven states. The
smallpox rate was sixty-eight and represented thirty-six states. The
typhoid fever rate for thirty-seven states was only forty. The case
rate for tuberculosis, all forms, was 346.7 in 1918. It was 274.2 in
New York, 271.6 in the District of Columbia and 271.3 in New Jersey.
These were the highest reported in the United States during that year.
Unfortunately these statistics relate to communicable diseases only.
This difficulty is due largely to the fact that comparatively few
states have made attempts to keep elaborate records. The reports of
Massachusetts are probably as comprehensive as any. The case rate per
100,000 of the population of all reportable diseases during the year
1920 was as follows:
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