Mortality from External Causes Among Industrial Policyholders of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

The group of the external causes of death is the fifth in order of numerical importance in this investigation. In any discussion of mortality, we may, in general, distinguish two main classes; first, those diseases and conditions which arise from pathologic processes within the body, and second, conditions which follow injury by some means or agency external to the human economy. Under each of these two fundamental divisions, we attempt to identify the specific agencies at work. Oftentimes, we must have recourse simply to a statement of the disease or condition present, without reference to the particular causative agency producing the disease.