Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-21
The Board of Health,

Q
on ordinance, reported that the board have no
power to regulate the construction of water
closets or infiict fines on plumbers tor neglect
70 put in the necessary water traps.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE REGISTRAR OF VITAL
STATISTICS.
DR.. Bliss, registrar OF vital statistics, sub
mitted his annual report for the year ending
| September so, 1874, including the births and
deaths for the ten months ending July 81, and
the marriages, births and total mortality for the
months OF August and September, with the
meteorological observations for the same time
He states that the same difficulties referred to
IN his last report arising from defective laws on
the of vital statistics still exist vet they
| have new entered upon one of the most i'm pOr-
tant epocbs in the history OF the District exer-
cising direct influence on the sanitary inter-
ests OF the people by enforcing the act of Com
gress authorizing the Board OF Health to make
and enforce regulations to secure full and
correct record OF vital statistics, including the
! registration OF deaths and the interment of the
dead OF SAID District. In addition to the regis
trstiOn OF births and deaths, and in order tn at
reliable comparisons may be made, and tina
periodical reports OF vital statistics may be ex-
changed with them, correspondence has been
opened with the registrars OF the principal
cities Of the United States and Europe, and a
re gistrar has been provided in the office in
which such record will be made as will shog at
glance this comparative statement.
THE PRACTICAL RESULTS
OF the enforcement of these regulations ia TO
place under Immediate observation the number
Of deaths occurring in the District the cause.
ana locality Of each, enabling the board to arrest
the spread and progress of epidemic, endemic,
contagious or infectious disea Asses aDd pron Mt v
AGATE existing causes Of preyentable NAL al les
10 secure perfect registration of marriage
births and deaths for testamentary evidence
and to bring all causes OF death under imme-
date official observation for the prevention aud
detection OF crime. The regulations have been
III force since July 81, and for the months of
august and September the registrar is aba to
present the total mortality in classes aud orders
correct, and il is believed very nearly the entire
marriages and births for the same period. The
regulations as whole are models OF brevity aud
perfection, and their practical operation thus
far demonstrates the comprehensive care given
to this subject. The only regulations OF the
board TO which objection has been made by
tons are
RETURNS OF BIRTHS,
requiring physicians when in attendance to re
port the full name of the father and mother,
date Of birth, locality, giving street and num-
Der, &c. This requirement was considered by
many OF the medical gentlemen of the District
as unjust, IN that it might, under certain cir
cCmstances, make their professional and cont
GENITAL relations to patients the subject of Off
clal record and inquiry. After a full and salts
factory conference of the board with q com
mlttee from the Medical association OF the ID 4
trict, II was decided by the board that the re-
ports Of births should be considered as comply
ing with the regulations, where the fact OF a
birth Is given, with the date, sex, color, and
snch additional data as the physician might be
able TO give, without violating profession al con-
hdeDce, and that the statement should be borne
physician IL unable to make record of any at2
diuOHal facts, by reason OF his professional
relations 10 the parties concerned. Tne con-
strucuon or the regulation proves emiuentIv
satisfactory, as it relieves the physician of An
occasional open violation OF the regulations,
and furnishes the board more complete returns
OF births than would other wise be obtained.
MARRIAGES,
Inc one remaining regulation to which OBJ
lection has been advanced Ia that which re-
quires every clergyman sOIsmnizing marriages
oil air fFrfl
and SIGNATURES of hoth contracting parties
whether previously married, residence A. Tha
practical execution OF this regulation imposes
OheiOus duties upon the clergy, which properly
belong to the authorities granting the marriage
license, and, after a conference between t6a
Board of Health, a committee of the clergy and
the chief clerk OF the Supreme Court OF the
District Or Columbia, il was ascertained that
EXISTING laws governing the matters of marriage
Incense would entirely prevent the successful
execution OF any MODIFICATION OF the regul.Uion
unless additional legislation from Congress- bs
first secured, which rs urged a. means of re
moving the only remaining obstacle TO the ac.
punishment OF the design of the laws In secur-
i1g full and correct record of vital statsticsin
the District Of Columbia.
DEATHS.
Tie regulations of the board covering the
subject Of births and deaths were inaueuPated
without encounteTing any formidable Difficult
nes. Medical gentlemen OF the District have
manifested their high appreciation of the i'm
pOftance and value OF these regulations, as ap-
pied to the vital and sanitary interests of the
people, by promptly calling at the Office Of the
board and making register Of their names resi-
dence ard the authority by which they were
commissioned TO practice the healing art This
regulation etiectually prevents the Recording oF
ioTgtd certificates OF death, which has hereto
lote oeen got an untTsGuent occurrence, aud
the receipt and record nf Certificates made bv
incompetent, irresponsible or criminaIly de-
signing persons.
The regulations requiring midwives, under
takers and sections to make register or their
e., residence III oh pF
ness in book provided for the purpose enables
The registrar to have such supervision of this
service as to avoid the neglect aud Irregular
lnes which would inevitably prevent the full
and correct record required by law. The system
instituted of promptly referring 10 the health
officer all deaths from fatal zymatic diseases,
such as dlptheria, typhoid fever, diarrhGa al dis
ease, &c, that he may inVestig gate, and If there
be any local cause, secure it's abatement, undar
the ordinances and regulations OF the Board of
Health, have resulted in great benefit by ar
resting such diseases ana preventing epideinics.
that with less watchfulnvss ant pvomptnesS
M ght cause great mortality.
sTarIsTI6AL.
The total number OF births registered for the
year enCing September 30, 1874, OF which $50
were still births, and 20 were twins; white gS4
or s93 per leo of the white population; colored
9go, OF "a per 600 OF the colored population.
Inc gIanfying results of the enforce ment OF the
regulations OF the board are in this table exem-
plined in marked degree. While the total
number OF regis tered births for the - noonths
was 1 57i, 500 were registered during the months
OF august and September, the entire 10 months
ending July 81, under the old regime furnish
ing only 9Sl.
The total number of deaths registered for the
year is 637 or III per 1900 Of the entire popu.
lation OF the District; OF which G53 were from
Zyeomatic disc asses, "a IS per cent. of the total
mortality, or 4 35 Der 1900. This exhibit fully
sustalns snd jnstihes the opinion already ex-
pressed in this report that the exceedingly low
rate OF mortality from zygOmatic disease is
largely due TO the persistent and systematic
laboIs OF the board in promptly abating the
minor as well as the more serious nuisances
which are the fruitful source of all diseases of
THIS class. Under the classification of zygO-
Ipatic diseases sppears the subdivision "diar-
ThPR disease, (which includes every disease tn at
attacks the bowels ana kills by fux, If not
caused by supreme organic disease. The
total deaths from this class is $50, - 80 per cent
OF the total mortality for the year, or 2 ~ per
1000 or the entire population. The most profni-
nent cause OF death in this District in the past
year has been phtbisis pulmanli, the total num-
Der being 43o. or 1853 per cent. of the total
mortality Tor the year. or 90 per 1000 of the
entre population; 252 were white and 1874 col
ore a. % were children under years of age; "a
white and 30 colOred The rate of mortality
from this canse among the white population
tllO,OcO) was Is per 1000, while the rate among
the colored people from the same cause was 50
per 1000, more than double that of the whites
o fact which can only be explained by the differ
emit coHditions and modes Of life prevailing
among the classes. Although the percentage
OF Oestbs from this cause in the ID .strict is be-
low that auy other Or the prineipal nit;.o g.,