National Republican., 1880-11-10
OUR CITY'S HEALTH.
A Good Showing Made by Dr. Townshend'i
Neport-Snme Senslble snrgcstlnns.

A Good Showing Made by Dr. Townshend's
Rcport-some Sensible Suggestions.
The report of tho health officer, DR.. Smith
Townshond, for the year ending June 30, $780,
was submitted to tho commissioners and is
very elaborate. Tho yoar, the report says,
was one Of unusual hoalthfulness for our peo.
pie, who enjoyed entire immunity from dis
ease in epidemic form. Tho records Of vital
statistics show that we are improving in
hcalthfulness. After stating the facts brought
out by the recent census, that tho
doath.rato OF the District, being based
on n much smaller population than it
really contained, has been placed at too high
q figure. the report says, there is certainly
good reason for congrutulatiOu, aud wo can
laugh at tho idle summer rumors manufac.
| turod by mOuthiug correspondents regarding
| Wushington's unhealthlulncss "rho report
gives a synopsis of work performed, Tvs follows
-2j,j nuisauccs reported and abated; l0,064
| pounds Of meats. 1892 bushels of fruits aud
| vegetables 112 jOl pounds of fish and II ,236
| bushels of oysters condemned as unfit for food;
| examinations aud reports made on 2,13l citi-
zens complaints; orders issued for burial at
| public expense In 59i cases; examination made
! to ascertain local cause Of disease in ! IL cases;
2,l6O official letters written; 2.5Si official no.
| tiCes issued % cases referred to the attorney
| for prosecution under the health ordinances
! 262j animals impouudcd; l335 dead animals
| 7,i56 $40 tons Of garbage and 2l53 barrels
Of night.soil removed; 25l deaths referred
to the coroner for investigation; i.72O per.
mits for burial issued, and the oflice.work
Of registry, compilation, etc, conducted.
Tho report suggcsts that the authorities take
steps locking TO the removal Of ashes from
dwellings. Tho fact that the soap. boiling
nuisance case aud the prosecution OF the
asphalt nuisance case are at a standstill in the
ILL q 10
| for the continuance of those nuisunces does
not rest upon the shoulders Of the health de-
partment. lie urges tho necessity of an in
creased appropriation for the collection aud
removal of garbage, rs the Ouly means by
which efficient service can be secured. lie
repeats tho recommendation made last
year that an ofIsl depot be estab.
lished at some point on the eastern
branch. lie urges the necessity for the ap.
pontmeut of an insncctor Of plumbing. He
urges the employment Of some less offensive
method Of cleaning sCwcr.traps He calls At
tentiOn to the urgent call for an inspection of
live stock in addition to the efficient system
Of fOcd inspection now in force. Iu connec.
tion with this subject the report says: II uu.
deIstaud that couple of firms in Baltimore
aud Philadelphia have completed arrange.
mcnts with most of our butchers to take
all their refuse scraps, fat. etc. for tho purpose
} of utilizing it In the mauulacl uro of oleomar.
garine. There is no doubt that much OF this
material is disposed of IN our cities, repre-.
sented to be dairy butter, and think the law
b. should bo so amended Us to prevent the con-
tiuuance of this fraud. We have law in
force here which provides that it shall only
be sold AS OleUmargarinc, and that 10 shall bc
plainly branded, etc; but in attempting to en-
force this law on several parties last spring twas
, found next to impossible to prove that those
holding the material knew the same to be
oleomargarino when offering it for sale a'
butter, aud finding that they could escape OF
this plea of ignorance they were not slow il
making it.p
Tho appropriation for the care of the sicl
poor has been so reduced that the healtl
. officer fears that this service will have to b,
81 discontinued. III also calls attention to tn,
need OF a general city hospital, and urges th
| necessity Of providing a moro commol;c..,
!, hosn.:i. iJl contagious disass,,s aud the insti
tuition Of regular periods for vaccination
Tho report contains interesting chapters OF
sanitary survey, the water supply, drain
age and sewers, gas and lighting an
slaughter-houses. 1t also notes that tn
- drainage of alleys by the coustruC
tion of sewers is being pushed forwart
, and as this work is accomplished the con
} plants Of foul OdOrs will he lessencd.
The mortality list for the year shows A.2l
deaths in the District, and, IN addition, II
deaths from beyond the District; 4 $50 birth
n. 1035 marriages and 35S still births. The AZ
nual death rate per thousand per annum W,
- 233l, decrease of l02, or 2,367 per cent.
= compared with last year. According 10 col,
, and population they were as follows Whit
2,Os5; annual death rate, II, ,375; coored, 9, l.
annual death rate, G53j. A table is give
10, from 1876 10 1850 showing tho decrease
Hj death rate; Total, 2G 3j to 30 CO; white, 10.
o., to II 63; colored 40.7l to 357l.