[Analysis of the mortality in a Catalonian rural population in the last third of the 19th. Century: Canet d'Adri, 1872-1900].

Background: We carried out a descriptive analysis of the mortality in a Catalonian rural town (Canet d'Adri, 12 km from Girona) for the period 1872-1900. The knowledge of the main mortality causes, especially those non-transmissible, could be very illustrative. The objective was to show the distribution of the mortality by age and cause, and to compare mortality due to infections with mortality consequence of the rest of the causes.

Method: Three aspects were analysed: the distribution of the deaths by age and sex; the temporal and seasonal evolution; and the distribution by cause-specific.

Results: 49.3% of the deaths corresponded to women and 50.7% to men. Younger than one-year old were the most important group, 35.6% of the total mortality, followed by older than 65, 23.7%. Respiratory diseases were responsible for 33.4% of deaths; infectious diseases 31.1%, circulatory diseases 13.4% and digestive diseases 2.6%. Amongst younger than 45 year old the main cause of mortality was infectious diseases, above all in women. Respiratory diseases were the main cause of mortality in women older than 45 and in men older than 65 year old. Deaths because circulatory diseases were a very important cause amongst men older than 65.

Conclusions: Besides of the importance of the infectious diseases as the main cause of death, it is surprising the importance of circulatory diseases (the third cause of mortality).