TABLE  3

Death-Rates  in  Berlin,  1721-1909

Average  Average

Period  annual  Period  annual

death-rate  death-rate

1721-1730 40.65  1821-1830 29.53

1731-1740 44.68  1831-1840 31.70

1741-1750 37.95  1841-1850 27.16

1751-1760 40.48  1851-1860 27.32

1761-1770 37.45  1861-1870 31.89

1771-1780 40.08  1871-1880 32.71

1781-1790 35.64  1881-1890 25.84

1791-1800 34.87  1891-1900 20.29

1801-1810 41.27  1901-1905 17.94

1811-1820 31.88  1906-1909 15.45

The  present  death-rate  of  Berlin  is  only
about  one-third  as  great  as  the  average  rate
from  1731  to  1740.  It  should  also  be  noted
that,  while  there  were  variations  in  rate  from
decade  to  decade,  very  little  permanent  gain
was  made  prior  to  1880.  Since  that  time,  the
decline  in  the  rate  has  been  both  rapid  and
permanent.  That  a  considerable  portion  of
the  gain  of  the  past  three  decades  has  been
due  to  the  saving  of  infant  life,  is  shown  by
Table  4.
[134]


CONSERVATION   OF   HUMAN   LIFE

TABLE  4

Death-itates  in  Berlin  of  Children  During  the  First
Year  of  Life,  1882-1907

Tear  Deaths  in  1,000  Year  Deaths  in  1.000

children  born  children  born

1882 305.32  1895 273.87

1883 325.87  1896 243.39

1884 319.84  1897 247.64

1885 292.08  1898 239.75

1886 324.03  1899 260.13

1887 *  1900 266.45

1888 *  1901 257.97

1889 *  1902 214.86

1890 282.31  1903 227.60

1891 275.36  1904 235.24

1892 261.61  1905 239.27

1893 276.54  1906 213.96

1894 248.82  1907 196.73

In  1883,  no  less  than  325  of  every  1,000
children  born  in  Berlin  died  within  one  year
from  birth.  In  1907  the  number  dying  in  each
1,000  born  had  been  reduced  to  196,  or  forty
per  cent  in  24  years.  The  limit  of  progress
along  this  line  is  still  far  from  being  reached.
