What are the reasons for the decline in mortality in the 19th century?

Abstract

In this paper we examine the decline in mortality rates by cause of death in U.S. cities during the last decade of the. 19th century. Causes of death are grouped according to their probable relationship to specific public health measures. The reduction which occurred in the death rates from some diseases, e.g., typhoid and diarrheal diseases, can probably be attributed in part to the provision of sewers and waterworks. Large declines also occurred in the death rates from tuberculosis and diphtheria, but the relationship between the declines in these diseases and public health practices designed to combat them is more ambiguous. We therefore conclude that public health measures had some impact on the decline in mortality, but that these measures do not provide a complete explanation of the mortality decline.

References

Crimmins-Gardner, E., and Condran, G. A. [1976]. Nineteenth Century American Mortality. Paper presented at the meetings of the Population Association of America, April 1976.
Dublin, L. I., Lotka, A. J., and Siegelman, M. [1949].Length of Life. Ronald Press, New York.
Google Scholar
Duffy, J. [1974].A History of Public Health in New York City, 1866–1966. Russell Sage Foundation, New York.
Google Scholar
Easterlin, R. A. [1977]. Population issues in American economic history: A survey and critique. In Gallman, R. E. [ed.],Recent Developments in the Study of Business and Economic History: Essays in Honor of Herman E. Krooss, Johnson Associates, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Google Scholar
Gore, J. K. [1904]. On the improvement in longevity in the United States during the nineteenth century. InProceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Actuaries, Vol. I, The Actuarial Society of America, New York.
Google Scholar
Meeker, E. [1972]. The improving health of the United States, 1850–1915.Explorations in Economic History 9: 353–374.
Google Scholar
Meeker, E. [n.d.]. Public health and medicine. InDictionary of American History, Charles Scribner's and Sons, forthcoming.
McKeown, T., and Record, R. G. [1962]. Reasons for the decline of mortality in England and Wales during the nineteenth century.Population Studies 16: 94–122.
Google Scholar
Rosen, G. [1971]. Historical trends and future prospects in public health.In Medical History and Medical Care: A Symposium of Perspectives, Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 57–81.
Google Scholar
Rosenkrantz, B. G. [1972].Public Health and the State: Changing Views in Massachusetts, 1842–1936. Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Google Scholar
Smith, W. [1964].Cities of Our Past and Present. New York.
Sydenstriker, E. [1972].Health and Environment. Arno Press andThe New York Times, New York.
Google Scholar
Taeuber, C., and Taeuber, I. B. [1958].The Changing Population of the United States. New York.
U.S. Bureau of the Census [1904].Twelfth Census, 1900: A Discussion of the Vital Statistics. Bulletin 15, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Google Scholar
U.S. Census Office [1896].Eleventh Census, 1890, Vital and Social Statistics. Part II, Vital Statistics. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Google Scholar
U.S. Census Office [1902a].Twelfth Census, 1900: Population, Part II. U.S. Census Office, Washington, D.C.
Google Scholar
U.S. Census Office [1902b].Twelfth Census, 1900: Vital Statistics, Part I — Analysis and Ratio Tables. U.S. Census Office, Washington, D.C.
Google Scholar
U.S. Census Office [1902c].Twelfth Census, 1900: Vital Statistics, Part II — Statistics of Death. U.S. Census Office, Washington, D.C.
Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Labor [1900].Bulletin of the Department of Labor, Statistics of Cities, No. 30.
U.S. Department of Labor [1901].Bulletin of the Department of Labor: Statistics of Cities, No. 36.
Whipple, G. C. [1908].Typhoid Fever, Its Causation, Transmission, and Prevention. Wiley, New York.
Google Scholar
Winslow, C. E. A. [1923].The Evolution and Significance of the Modern Public Health Campaign. Yale University Press, New Haven.
Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Department of Human Ecology and Social Sciences, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Gretchen A. Condran
Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, Chicago, Illinois
Eileen Crimmins-Gardner

Authors

Gretchen A. Condran
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Eileen Crimmins-Gardner
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The research on which this paper is based was supported by NICHD Grant 1-R01-HD-05427. A version of this article was presented at the meetings of the American Sociological Association, New York, August 30–September 3, 1976.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Condran, G.A., Crimmins-Gardner, E. Public health measures and mortality in U.S. cities in the late nineteenth century. Hum Ecol 6, 27–54 [1978]. //doi.org/10.1007/BF00888565

Download citation

Issue Date: March 1978
DOI: //doi.org/10.1007/BF00888565

Key words

mortality
public health measures
urban areas

What caused decline in mortality?

Better nutrition allowed people to avoid contracting disease and to withstand disease once contracted; public health measures reduced the spread of disease.

What was the main cause of death in the 19th century?

Very many people still died of infectious diseases, esp. of tubercolosis, typhoid fever, diphtheria, pertussis, scarlet fever and other infectious diseases. There were many cases of bronchitis and deadly pneumonia. Even suicide was an important cause of death.

What are the 4 factors that have caused death rates to decrease?

They have become health conscious. They take nutritive and balanced diet, do exercise, go for a walk and even to a gym. All these have brought down the death rate.

What are the main factors contributing to the decline in death rate in 20th century?

Improvements in public health During the 20th century, an enormous improvement in public health led to an overall decrease in death rates. Infant mortality rates and maternal mortality rates have dramatically decreased.