Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-01
VITAL STATISTICS OF THIS DIS.
IklGT
Sanitary Facts and Suggestions

REPORT or TIE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF
HEALTH.
The report OF DIR. ID. ". Bliss, secretary OF the
Board OF Health. TO the pr, sident OF the board,
ar. COX. to which reference WAS made in THE
STAR some Gays since, contains many mat
- of interest 10 our readers that we print II in
,u!i. = follows:
IL have the honor to submit herewith a re-
sort of the Oihciai duties of thus Office for the
nd the
VITAL STATISTICS oF THE DISTRICT OF CO.
LUMBiA
| iur the - me period.
Ia addition TO the ordinary duties imposed by
he Board, il is made the duty of the Secretary,
- lsw, 20 record All Il aths and births within
be District of Columbia, and TO publish a
monthly statistical report of all cert 1cAtes OF
-es'hs coming INTO hls hands, giving number
If deaths, various causes, ages Sc. He is also
REQUIRED 10 furnish undertSkeTs, physicians,
and such other persons As may require them,
bank forms, necessary for the record of vital
statistics, aud also TO furnish them with printed
copies OF all acts pertaining TO the registry Of
births and deaths.
| These requirements have added materially to
The duties and responsibilities Of the Office, but
every tfoTt has been made 10 comply with the
provisions o. law, and every facility has been
afforded 10 physicians, undeTtakers, and others
| their duties and responsibilities.
am greatly indebted TO the Chief Clerk of
| the Board, who, in the discharge of his duties
las rendered me most valuable assistance. Be-
ng required TO be constantly at his post his Ia
bors are Onerous aud responsible, and have been
| performed with prOmptness and efficiency.
The following is summary of the work of
| the office:
| Number of communications received ..2,625
Disposed OF by endorsement. Alb
Written IN reply.copies taken. ........... 609
Referred To Health Oh1Cer... Cos
Miscellaneous communications written. $50
| BOOKS KEPT.
Record of the proceedings of the Board Let
teTs received. Letters sent. Book of Ordi-
rSnces. Record of deaths and interments
Record of births. Record of applications and
deaths. Time books, regular employees Time
books, miscellaneous employees. Catalogue of
| library. Stationery received and issued, Per-
init book.
The present report of the vital statistics of
| the District Of Columbia embraces a period of
seventeen months, in consequence of the fact
| that the first annual report OF this Board made
10 Congress, through the President of the Uuited
states, included only the four months ending
Alril 80, 1872. Hereafter. there being a neces-
s'ty tor making the annual report before the
meeting Of Congress in December, each year,
| that report Will be made to the 30th of Septem
her.
am wei aware that the vital statistics of the
District Is herein presented, are imperfect and
| thCTe is ample cause for this imperiection,
ewing t. the fact that the old laws of the cities
! OF Washington and Georgetown are still in
| force, and materially defective. / have expert
| ruced great difficulty in obtaining dednite
HI9i nation as to the name, age, cause, and date
OF death.
| on many certificates received the names are
Mis~uelied, tue dates are not given, often the
cause Of death Is not stated aud, Occ .siOnallv,
| they are not signed by any responsible party.
| ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION NEEDED.
| Efforts have been made BY the Board. at the
tNree several sessions OF the Legislature of the
| District OF Columbia, to procure the passage of
the requisite laws to enable Us to present Tela-
bic vital statistics; but our legislators failed to
comprehend the Importance of such laws, and
| their bearing upon the sanitary necessities of
| the District consequently would urge upon
tho Board the Importance OF presenting this
| subject 10 Congress at coming session.
| NJ any reasons, prominent among which are the
| following:
First. In case of the occurrence of an epI-
| demic, or any OF the more formidable diseases,
as small pCX, cholera, yellow fever, relapsing
fever, &C., it Is absolutely necessary, in order
| tn protect the public, that the Board OF Health
should be promptly advised Of its existence, and
be enabled tOinstitute proper sanitary aud quar-
antlne regulations to prevent its spread in the
| community.
Second For the prevention of crime as under
| existing laws homicide by poisoning by the more
| accomplished ana educated criminals could be
| committed in this community without probable
| detection.
| Third. The necessity for perfect registration
] icF testsmentary evidence. Repeated calls
have been made upon the Secretary of the
| board OF Health, not only from citizens of the
| Distrlct and OF our own country, but also from
| foreign countries, for the record of death OF
persons known TO have died in the District of
Columbia, and, upon thorough examination
OF the records in each instance, no evidence of
| the death or burial could be found
The medical profession and santariaus gen.
orally acknowledge the Importance of deduc-
TONS obtained from reliable statistics of mortal
lty, and the proper classifca alton of Diseases and
il is to be hoped that, In the coming convention
OF the Health Boards OF the United States, TO be
held IN this city in January next, uniform no.
nenclsture of diseases and system of regIstra
ton will be adopted, and that such recommen-
osuons Will be made by the several delegates to
their Legislatures and municipal governments
ar well secure the necessary laws and reguls-
ons looking TO this end
THE REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS
is even more imperfect than that of deaths
OWING TO the dissemination on the part OF ply
sicians, accouchers, and mid gsves to comply
with the requirements of the law. have en-
deaVOred TO secure perfect returns of births by
sending circulars giving all necessary informa-
tlon TO physicians, accouchers, and midwiyes,
as far as their names and residences could be
sscertained, and have vainly hoped to accom-
plish this object without recommending to the
Board the necessity of instituting legal pro-
ceedings against such delinquents. Unless the
parties upon whom the law imposes these obli-
cations conform more generaliyIand promptly
10 its requirements, shall, at an early day for
the public good, ask the Board to enforce the
act regulating this important branch OF the
vital statistics OF the District of Columbia.
The total number of births registered during
the seventeen months ending September 3d.
1875 TABLE No. ~ WAS 1,157, a decrease in the
corresponding four months included in the first
annual report of this board of l57 births, and
relative decrease for the seventeen months of
44i births These facts are evidences of increas-
ing lndlsposition on the part of those RESPONSE
Bile to the public for this information to forward
the required certificates of births TO the board,
and exhibit the necessity for rigid enforcement
of the law.
THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED DEATHS
from all causes for the seventeen months ending
September 80, 1873, was 1882, of which there
were $50 white and 1 ,497 colored-an excess of
white over colored of 45S. The white popula-
ton of the District is estimaued at 81 oil, or
81 "a per cent. of the entire population and the
colored at 4O,9S3, or 3036 per cent.-an excess
OF white over colored of SO, 03i, or 80 per cent,
From the foregoing it will be seen that
THB MORTALITY AMONG THE CoLoRRD,
according 10 the relative population, was
largely in excess, the percentage Of deaths of
the white population being 207, and the col
ored population 3.6-an excess of 1.53 per cent,
the reasons for which are apparent. The ma
jority of the colOred population nocking into
the District, during and since the late war,
from the rural districts of surrounding States,
many formerly slaves, and having no knowl-
edge or appreciation of sanitary requirements,
crowded into novels built in the alleys and in
the lowest and most unhealthy portions of our
cities, bringing with them the filthy, careless
habits of the plantation, and subjected to all
the unwbolesome influences of overcr0 wdng
and poverty, combined with absolute ignor ance
of the laws of health, no wonder the relative
mortality Is so marked, and Is a con-