egister of the Knights of Pythias. His life is
truly full, every moment of his time is taken.

The causes of excessive mortality among the colored people in Southern
cities are _said_ to be _many_ and have been discussed from just as
many points of view by students of the social status of this people.

But after several years of professional service among these colored
people, which service gave me an opportunity to more closely study
them, their faults, habits, needs, methods of living and their
knowledge of hygiene and its laws, I have calmly reached the
conclusion that the want of money is the main cause of the excessive
mortality of this people. It is true that there are several minor
causes, _but all_ have their origin in the one mentioned.

Among the most prominent of these _minor_ causes may be mentioned
_Ignorance_ and _Poverty_. Let us briefly consider the first of these.

The colored people have made wonderful progress in the acquirement of
knowledge since emancipation, and this improvement has played no small
part in reducing their excessive death-rate. Yet from this height we
look down and see the great masses of these people still held in the
death-like grip of _ignorance_. To these, education has taken no
knowledge of clean homes, pure air, ventilation, soap and water and
other things conducive to good health. These are they who to-day are
falling so rapidly before the great reaper, _death_.

It is a truth known to the profession, health departments and students
of this subject that most of the deaths of the great human family
occur between birth and the ages of five years. The children of the
colored race are not an exception to the above statement.

If the children of the intelligent, good, better and best die fast, it
stands to reason that those of the ignorant, bad and poor would die
even faster, and this is just what I have found to be the case.

Ofttimes, among the lowly masses, ignorance is the first to take
charge of the babies at birth; it sticks a slice of fat meat in their
innocent little mouths immediately after birth; it rocks the cradle;
it fills their little stomachs with all kinds of decoctions, of teas
and whiskies to bring out the "hives;" yea, ignorance feeds these
little ones on all kinds of solid foods before they are able to digest
them, until it finally feeds the grave with the bodies of its little
victims.

Even when manhood and womanhood are reached, _ignorance_,
_gho