Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-11-26
SAN 1T AIRY.
Annual Report of the Board of Health.
Important suggestions.

Important Suggestions.
/ ident of the Board of Health OF the District OF
/ Columbia, has been transmitted to the Pres
! ldent of the United States. After noticing the
Congressional legislation creating the board
! the report says:
Congress, in it's sagacity and prescience. recog
i hzea tne heesssIty OF leal,h orgaa which, in
eneesl and thus snbserye the real purposes coutem
plated by such 9rssnizsion at tue capital of tn
the health OF the resident population, but Of that
and his cabinet foreign minister's chiefs OF buPeau+
Serhs, ems pIo} es OF the government and their fam
years, as well as that vast influx of strangers
attracted 10 Washington as the center of political
strong claim upon Congress, by whom this bo tri
was founded, both for large sharge Of the necss-
saTy means for the prosecution of lis requirements
aud such additional authority in the shape Of ieg
iauon as may be demanded b. the constantly
lncreasing sanitary needs aud exigencies of the
The changes III the officers Of the board during the
past year are next noticed Under the he al Of
SANITARY SCIENCE
the report carefully reviews the progress of san
nary science in this snd other countries. 1t SAYS
proper appreciation of and regard for public
health j. OF recent origin. During the larger pr
ton OF the worlds history. human beings have bsen
coLtenttd with mers vague, visionary notions ~
h giele, comparatively reckless to their
citizen should be slow to discern thar the siS n
san tsry measures Of securing proper heal a.d ven
!Iau9n 10 dwellings, the prevention of ovsrcro wd-
lng, efclent sewerage ana drainage, the removal Of
nth Of Ill kinds, and the Correction Of its fatal
results by the empl ymeut of suitable disiufec ants
the use Of pure food and water, with other obyi ous
sanitary requirements inv ably result in N proved
from disease aud vastly increased percentage Of
longevity 1t only Of late ears that ieiniteGess
sanitary science. Preventative medicine is sttra,t
lns more attention than curative medicine in many
ansiters and there is no small danger that the ply.
stefan may after awhile, like 0heilo mud his occT
patton gone. Health boards are being sys.
temat!ealy and thoroughly organized aud the din
Of civil enactment is to encourage hygieao insfitn
uo n Oy the supply OF means and the bestowaI of
sueh powers as the necessities of public health de-
comparison q the mortnary rates Of several Ea-
IN reference to the establishment of
NATIONAL SANITARY BUREAU,
unuer winch head the report says "a memorial
and accomPanyi.g bill were presented at the last
session OF Congress, snd referred t. the
committee, but for want of opportunity we're not
fully considered. Since that time the plan has at
support, and it is confidently believed that this
great measure cannot fail Of adoption at the jming
sTSsIoh Oh congress; tnus marking proud era "a
our history, and rejecting lnstre upoa the aimin-
lstraf1on inauguratinR il. The value of the laGors
as they 10, typographical, meteorological. morT9.
airy, and reproductive statistics, well as tn Ise
tionD epidemic and zynoric diseases, and may
other subjects OF sanitary moment. The regulation
epdemcz and the extension II aid 70 state
tine regulations are not the least Of its important
health boards Of the country, harm jniz ng their
plans of operation, and diusisR practical il forma
erful influence Hp5n the public health. Among
the measures Of practical Importance proposed bS
cine virus and its distribution free Of charge TO all
Tsrts Of the country. This feature itself will com
PEN ate IN rs re qts Tor the laoor aud expense Of
Quotations are made from d. J. Il. Black, Prot.
+. II. Hamilton and DR.. Stephen Smith, president
of the American Health Association, IN favor of ths
proposed bureau, and Or. Cox says: 81 offer no
ciIssiGn Of a subject Of - mucn intaraIt ~ ~
board, aud yitalIy linked to the health and CON
obligation to coate classify, aud Distribute ina iH
formation, looking to the conservation Of public
knowledge is bOth power aud treasur. to the naiOD
As nothing is silly disease, nothing is SO re.
active labor G to he al Pq5 to
and more, will be a"cOmpl he'd b the establish
IMPORTANT POINTS IN TIE sECEETARY's BRPdzr
N,tici9s the report Of DR.. Bus, tbs secretary Of
The immense value Of carefully arranged tabular
rec rds Of births, marriages, deaths causes of dis
series Of years, viii not be called ia gustion Sy any
one hsT ing the least knowledge Of applied sanitary
science. Il Is greatly to be regretted that
for some time the vital statistics have been maagr5
aud defective H. the D. rcilU essential the com
p!ettnes5 and utihty Of such reports. Thl1 -, ~
has been stated due TO the as5ence Of any law COM
pellnR the physician in attendance 10 cOInmuaicate
the existence Of disee and DEATH and to the loose
mhnhtT IN "hlfh tins board = informed Of deaths,
tn, ir causes, a. d othor qualifying conditions. The
best interests Of humanity, therefore, dem and that
there shall be At whatever COST secured, the most
complete periodical statistics Of boths, marriages
al deaths, carefully classified, and rec 1rdsd "a
such form as to be instantly available Comparative
estimates Of public health, carefully prepared ia
clSdine the canses operating At different periods to
pr duce certain diseases, cpastitutea most imp
ant basis u preventive measures. Not onIy Is this
demanded In sanitary view, but for the require
mtrts 81 law aud the ends OF public justice. Inie d.
10 subject opens a more comprehensive field of
useiu. inquiry or may lead to more important re-
suits.
Tie Secretary recommends therefore, for good
AID sufficient reasons, that more efficient legisa-
notice be rendered Of the existence Of disease,
and of deaths by poison or homicide As suggested
by the report, such law a. the evigency requires
will enable the board by the prompt detection OF
epidemic or contagious diseases to prevent their
tension. The ends Of justice would be suo5eryed by
he exposure OF many causes Of murder by poison
ing, Of which nothing is now known, while vaIua-
BILE testameniary evidence would be accessible TO
our avn and foreign countries. The registration of
births is even more imperfect from the neglect of
physicians and midwives, who required by law
to make prompt reports Of all births occurring un
der their supervision. The necessity for the en-.
mutton Of reported births within the last year. reach
ing in amount several HUNDRED. According to the
report alluded to, the number Of registered deaths
9s5 were white, and 4J7 colored. This statement
in view of the vast numerical disproportion Of the
clements in population, shows the mortality
of the cnloredto be immensely in excess Of that Of
the white inhabitants Of thu District.
1t shows that for twelve months terminating
September 80, Isl the deaths in the prOpJrtioa
Of 81 to every 900 Of the estimated population
This rate Of mortality, as Justly stared, compares
most fsvorsbly with that Of city Of similar mum
bers, and speaks volumes for the salubrity OF the
small -pox, phthsis, and CHI lera- infantum predomi
rate. The causes assigned for this fact, viz: CON
fnemeht at desk work Of large prop ortion OF the
population in il-y euiiated and improperly heated
public buildings aud offices, are entitled to cOnsid
Grafton. The sanitary care of government depart
meDts is a subject Of profound interest, and efforts
are in progress by the board looking to the in
yestigation of the sanitary defects of Construction
and arrangement in these structures. It is also an
Acknowledged fact that the development of phthis4
is frequently due to damp exhalatiOus from the soil
owing 10 imperfect surface drainage. The eEtraOr.
eisary sbors of the board in correcting this evil, by
house and sewer connections will doubtless favOra-
bly, affect future mortality from this source. The
thorough distinction aud removal of night soil ia
sealed tanks aud its trans pOrtaiol far beyond thu
limits Of the District, Will, IL is thought, greatly
diminish the percentage Of deaths from cholera
infantum, dysentery, and similar affections.
FINANCES OF THE BOARD.
Noticing the Treasurer's report DR.. Cox says
1.-THE legislative appropriation Of 1872 owing TO the
extraordinary expense Incurred by the prevalence
of an epidemic and other causes, exhausted
and Con gress appealed to for deficiency, which
was promptly voted, amounting to $500 This,
with the additional appropriation b. Congress of
$4,000, has constituted the entire basis of the
financial oper atoms OF the board for the past year
The legislative appro priation of SIS 900, made a.
the spring sessi on, has not yet been rendered
cessible, and the period at which il may be made
available is not determined. The uncertain and in
adequate pecuniary aid afforded by the Legislative
Assembly cODpels al appeal to Congress for the
means 10 out the provisions of tn q