"8.9"

Except for its epidemic of influenza, a great number of Negro deaths and an appalling homicide figure, 1923 would have been the best health year in U. S. history.

The 15,000,000 industrial policy holders of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (Haley Fiske, president) provide significant statistics. Their deathrate:

1911 .12.5 1913 .12.0 1917 .11.6 1919 .10.6 1921 .8.7 1922 . 8.8 1923 . 8.9 The homicide and manslaughter figures continue to terrify American sociologists. 1923, next to 1917, was the worst to date. It is largely due to the colored folk, but even white homicide is four times the English rate.

Alcoholism increased, but wood-alco-hol decreased as a causa mortis. And the usual increase was shown in motorcar deaths.