Top 10 Causes of Death in Erie, PA in 1946

June 1947 Erie's Health drawn by Helen P. Thurlow.

Sad to say, I don't have any fun facts about Erie. This post is pretty grim. One thousand five hundred and eighteen people died in the City of Erie, PA in 1946. The death rate per 1,000 population was 11.6. The number one cause of death?   Heart Disease

"Heart disease continues to rise and continues to be the greatest killer of mankind. There were 60 more such deaths in 1946 over 1945. Cancer is still unopposed for the second most common cause of death, although there were forty less deaths from that disease then in 1945. Apoplexy has shown a slightly lower trend for the past ten years. Pneumonia deaths have shown a gradual decline for practically the same period. Accidental deaths have shown a decline for the past three years, but the increase, already noted in automobile deaths, will probably tend to end this decline.

The epidemic of gastro-intestinal infection in young infants, which spread over the entire nation last year, accounted for this cause of death being elevated into the first ten causes of death in 1946. It also accounted for our highest infant mortality rate in a number of years. Diseases of early infancy and kidney diseases remained rather stationary. 1946 shown the gradual increase in diabetes deaths which has been evident for several years." -City of Erie Board of Health, June 1947.

Top 10 Causes of Death in the City of Erie in 1946:
1.   Heart disease, responsible for 528 deaths.
2.   Cancer, the cause of 193 deaths. 
3.   Apoplexy, 153 deaths.
4.   Pneumonia (all kinds), 84 deaths.
5.   Accidents, 61 deaths.
6.   Gastro-enteritis, claimed 50 children under two years of age.
7.   Nephritis (Bright's Disease), 47 deaths.
8.   Diseases of early infancy, including congenital deformities, 30 deaths.
9.   Diabetes, 27 deaths.
10. Tuberculosis (all kinds), 25 deaths.

For comparisons sake, here is a list from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Top 10 Causes of Death in the U.S. in 2010:
1.   Heart Disease
2.   Cancer
3.   Chronic lower respiratory disease
4.   Stroke
5.   Accidents
6.   Alzheimer's disease
7.   Diabetes
8.   Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis
9.   Influenza and pneumonia
10. Intentional self-harm (suicide)

Find more facts about Erie on my Erie History Blog

1918 Flu Devastated Erie PA

Influenza was declared a reportable disease by the Erie Board of Health on October 9, 1918. All persons ill with the flu were ordered to stay home. Visiting sick people was forbidden, and funerals were "absolutely private, no gathering in churches being allowed."

Why the extreme measures? Because 500 people died from influenza during the last three months of 1918 in the City of Erie, PA. 

On September 30, 1918, every county in the State of Pennsylvania received a telegraph from the commonwealth, "closing every unnecessary place of gathering such as schools, churches, saloons, theaters, and places of amusement of all kinds, also forbidding every sort of public meeting. Street cars and other public vehicles were ordered to avoid overcrowding and everyone was advised to stay at home." Residents of Erie were not happy with these orders.

Hospitals were quickly overwhelmed.

On October 25th, two hospital wards were opened in the Elk's Club. These wards when filled to capacity accommodated 85 patients. A nursing force was hurriedly assembled, consisting of state and school nurses, those from one of the industrial plants, private nurses, so called domestic and practical nurses and volunteers. Many of these women left homes and families to lend a helping hand.

The federal government lent beds, bedding, linen and dishes. The Red Cross loaned nightshirts for the patients and masks and aprons for the nurses. City Council raised $10,000. The Directors of the Poor gave money for those who were too ill at home to be able to obtain food.

On October 28, 1918, 378 new cases of the flu were reported to the Board of Health in a single day. Two hundred and seventy-two new cases were reported on December 9th. Sixteen people died on November 6th; 28 people died on November 21. The flu was relentless.

The numbers of those who were ill with the flu in the City of Erie were staggering; 9,512 cases of influenza were reported during October, November and December of 1918. Five hundred people died as a result of contracting the flu, decimating young and old alike.

The COVID-19 Coronavirus draws many comparisons to the Influenza outbreak of 1918.

Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com