jim INTERESTING, SOME AMUSING INFORMATION
by Jack Rider
Hie North Carolina Depart
ment of Health compiles moun
tains of figures each year, and
these include some sad, some
interesting and some amusing
information.
Last year there were 92,900
new Tar Heels bom, and 42,261
left this veil of tears for a net
natural increase in the state pop
ulation of 50,339.
As in most years boy arrivals
outnumbered girl arrivals, with
47,541 boy births compared to
45,059 girl births, but against
last year as every year since the
record books began the girls
proved they were tougher than
the boys by outlasting them.
, In the exit department male
deaths totalled 24,519 while only
17,742 of the supposedly weak
er sex were crossing the great
divide, leaving a net increase in
in the female population at the
end of the year of 4285.
This was the lowest birth
rate since records have been
kept. The PU1 has practically
made it possible for obstetri
cians to work banking hours af
ter many long years of sweating
over a hot delivery table about
20 hours a day, seven days to
the week.
The state’s birthrate last year
fell to 18.8 births per thousand.
In the previous year the rate
was 19.1 and in 1947 the rate
soared >to 30.4 when all the boys
got back with all the girls after
the end of World War Two.
However, 1921 still renting the
peak production year for North
Carolina when the birthrate hit
33.4 per thousand.
The white birthrate was even
lower than the average, falling
last year to 17.3, compared to
the 1947 rate of 29.9.
Last year the colored birth
rate for the state was 23.4, com
pared to the colored peak rate
THE JONES COUNTY
NUMBER 36
TRENTON, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1968
VOLUME XVI
Cancer of Respiratory System Claims
Two Per Cent of North Carolinians in
'67 but Got 98 Per Cent of Publicity
A morbid subject, perhaps
best left to statisticians and pub
lic health officials is the death
rate, but in view of the constant
warped publicity that is aimed
against the tobacco industry
there may be some small vir
tue in taking a look at even
these morbid figures.
Last year 42,261 North Caro
linians died. Of that total 5,933
died from all forms of cancer,
but lung cancer got the morbid
share' of the publicity despite
the fact that all types of respira
tory cancer were credited with
only 1,038 of the total cancer
toll, or just slightly more than
two per cent of the total death
toll for last year.
Cancer of the larynx was
blamed for 37 deaths, cancer of
the trachea, bronchus and lung
classed as primary, or originat
ing in those areas, claimed the
lives of 269. Cancer of the lung
and bronchus not specified as
primary or secondary claimed
760 lives last year.
wnat does that mean? It
means that at the time of death
there was cancer present in the
lung or bronchus but there was
no specific information avail
able as to whether the cancer
had originated in those organs
or had actually started in an
other organ and had moved, or
as the doctors say “mestastasiz
ed” from some other organ.
Since all blood flows through
the lungs regularly it is natural
that infection of all kinds is
likely to wind up in that area.
The kidney is also prone to this
same problem, since the kidneys
filter all the blood just as re
gularly as the lungs.
What about the other kinds
of cancer? How many lives did
they claim in North Carolina
last year?
Of the mouth 129, the esopha
gus 115, the stomach 281, the
intestines 438, the rectum 156,
the liver 79, the pancreas 340,
the peritoneum 21, the breast
513, the cervix uteri 212, the
uterus 113, the ovaries and
specified female genital organs
17, the prostate 390, the testis
and other unspecified' male gent
tal organs 23, the kidney 104,
the bladder and urinary organs
"140, the outer skin 122, the eye
the brain 149, the thyroid
15, the bone 45, connec
> 2&, leukemia 279, the
_ JwMls 317.
admittedly, is a grue
some list, and it is not intended
to shock the reader, but only to
impress upon the reader that
everyone is not dying of cancer,
and that a small per cent of
those dying from cancer are vic
tims of lung cancer as a primary
cause of death.
Among those unfortunate 269
whose death was judged to be
primarily from cancer of the
trachea, bronchus or lung there
was one between the age of one
and four years, one between the
age of 25 and 29, one between
the ages of 30 and 34, three be
tween the ages of 35 and 39,
seven between the ages of 40
and 44, 29 between the ages of
45 and 49, 35 between the ages
of 50 and 54, 38 between the
ages of 55 and 59, 47 between
the ages of 60 and 64, 47 be
tween the ages of 65 and 69, 37
between the ages of 70 and 74,
12 between the ages of 75 and
79, nine between the ages of
80 and 84 and two over the age
of 85.
Which breakdown by ages sup
ports the ancient axiom once at
tributed1 to golfers, that if they
don’t die of anything else all
golfers will die from syphillis.
In less roguish jargon of the
modern medical statistician; All
of us will die of cancer if we
don’t die from something else,
because even .the most optimistic
men of medicine are not promis
ing eternal life on this side of
the grave, Dr. Christian Barn
hard to the contrary notwith
standing.
J. E. Morris PTA
Meets on 10th
The J. E. Morris School P.T.A.
held it’s third meeting of the
season Monday night December
10, 1968, at 7:30 p.m.
President Jessie Moore presid
ed. After Christmas songs, Mrs.
M. W. Mattocks of the 5th grade
gave a brief reading on the
meaning of Christmas and the
carol ‘Silent Night.’
J. E. Wynn, principal of the
school, introduced the guest
speaker, J. Rooks, superintend
ent of public schools for Jones
County. He discussed the pres
ent situation of the school sys
tem and expressed his hope for
continued unity.
After the meeting, refresh
ments were served. There were
35 mmbers present. Room count
was won by Mrs. A. B. Ward’s
6th grade.
Suicide in Jail
Sunday afternoon Garland O.
Turner of 418 Caswell Street
committed suicide in the Kinston
City jail. He was arrested at
2:25 p.m. on a warrant signed
by his wife, charging him with
assault on a female. When of
ficers went at about 6 p.m. to
put another prisoner in the same
cell block they found Turner
hanging by his belt which had
been tied to a bar in the cell.
Coroner Raymond Jarman ruled
the death to be suicide. Turn
er was alone in the cell at the
time he killed himself.
Jones Central Honors List Released
For Second Six-Week Grading Period
Jones Central High School
Principal Bill Bowen released
last week the following princi
pal’s list and honor roll for his
school during the second six
week grading period.
Principal's List
Tenth grade: Larry McCall
Thompson.
Eleventh Grade: Marlene!
Jones.
Twelfth grade: Jay Bender,
add Janice Jones.
Honor Roll
Ninth grade: Wesley Basden,
Ellene Jones, Stanley Jones and
Donna Potter.
Tenth grade: Bonnie Banks,
Kenny Collins, Lydia Creagh,
Teresa Cumbo, Barbara Hender
son, BettyJones, Janie Meadows,
Murray Jones, Ruth Morton and
Ann Pollock.
Eleventh Grade: Frank T.
Bender, Peggy Bryan, Deborah
Jenkins, Sammy Moore, Tommy
Provost, Jennifer McCoy, Susan
Morgan, Gene Roper, Gregory
Strayhorn, Michael Thompson,
Twelfth grade: Dalton Ange,
Steve Banks, Percy Conway,
John Creagh, Lolly Byrd, Sue
Cauley, Tony Criscitiello, Rich
Franck, Debbie Haddock, Jackie
Hammond, William Hawkins,
Judy Jones, Sylvia Hargett, John
Mallard, Sherwood McDaniel,
Carolyn Mills, Wanda Mills and
Storma Thomas.
i> * to-;;.!.;
of 34.4 in 1954.
Puzzling Picture
Glancing ot the county break
down of these figures one runs
into some puzzling facts. The
highest birthrate for white peo
ple — 25.6 — in1 the state is
in Cumberland County and the
lowest — 6.7 — is in Gates
County, both of which might be
explained with the young mili
tary population around Fort
Bragg, and the aging farm
oriented population of Gates
County; but explain why the
highest and the lowest colored
birthrates are high in the moun
tainous west.
Alleghany County has the high
est colored birthrate with a soar
ing 44.1 per thousand as its 209
colored population had a total of
nine babies during last year.
But in neighboring Avery
County the colored birthrate was
only 8.5, as its 118 colored citi
zens were only able to produce
one baby during the past year.
Unhappy Reflections
On the sad side of the ledger:
Last year 11,162 of the 92,600
children born in the state were
born out of wedlock, which fig
ures to be just a tiny fraction
more than 12 per cent of the
total.
White babies born out of wed
lock amounted to 2371 out of
64,177, for 3.0 per cent, but 30.9
per cent of colored babies born
last year were born out of wed
lock: 8791 out of 28,423. Edge
combe County had the worst rec
ored births being out of wed
lock, or 41.5 per cent.
Births last year included 10
sets of live born triplets and
837 sets of live born twins.
Sadly there were 5787 infant
deaths, including 1633 fetal
deaths, 1685 deaths under 28
days of age and 2469 more who
died before their first birthday
anniversary.
The 10 leading causes of death
in the state last year were dis
eases of the heart 14,989, all
forms of cancer 5,474, strokes
of all kinds 5,260, motor vehicle
accidents 1,630, influenza and
pneumonia 1,555, accidents oth
er than motor vehide 1,505, dia
betes 678, arteriosclerosis 676,
congenital malformation 518 and
homicide 487.
Parents might keep in mind
that the leading cause of death
in children from one to four
years old is accidents not in
volving motor vehicles, and the
leading cause of deaths in chil
dren from five through 14 years
is auto accidents, followed close
ly by other kinds of accidents
and the leading cause of death
in the age group from 15
through 24 is also auto accident,
followed not so closely by oth
er kinds of accidents, which sad
ly enough is followed by homi
cide.
Incidentally, suicide is the 11th
largest cause of death with 482
in that category last year.
b
The 1
Christmas Story
And it came to pass in those days, that there went
out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the
world should be taxed.
And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was
governor of Syria.
And all went to be taxed, everyone to his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the
city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the
house and lineage of David.
To be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being
great with child.
And so it was that, while they were there, the days
were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her first born son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a
manger; because there was no room for them in the
inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them;
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, be
hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find
the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.