Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-15
CITY AND DISTRICT.
District Government AKairx

haSu scnooi blliuing on the torcoran square
market to-day by the contractors Messrs Bright
4 Humphrey.
The appeals upon new improvements recertly
assessed viii be considered by the board Of an
peals up to the 3Gth instant. but no later Per-
sons interested In these assessments should take
/ notice of this
Controller Lawrence has given his consent TO
\ the District Commissioners to have a sprfnp-
mouse made for the new cottage in the Indus
trial Home School grounds, at a cost of sl5o. 10
De taken from the overplus fund appropriated
| for the cottage.
BIDS WERE OPENED TO-DAY
In the once of the Commissioners for the erec-
ton OF two public school houses-gne n. Me-
ridian Hill and the other at Tennallytown-as
| tcllows;-B. c. King. for the building at Ten.
nallytown. 81, zoo: the one at Meridian mn.
900; ;. y. rhiilirs-Mcridan HiIl. s.s5o;
town, $500. A. l.. Phillirs-MeridIan Hill.
50 $50 92. No award was made
Bids Were also opened in the Office Of the in
spector of buildings for putting in two boilers In
the new Washington almshouse and one In the
workbouse, as follows Gray A Moves aims
house. Otwo boilers.) Sl.4eo. workhouse zone
boiler. S159. CG. Thorn-Almshouse 81 223 50;
workhouse. SG8957. Petit 4 nripps-Alms-
house. 800; workhouse, S6s5 No award has
been made.
Vital. STATISTICS.
The total mortality in the District of Column
bla Tor the week ending SATURDAY. August G.
! 1881. was ll5. (being Il more than for the week
previous or at the rate of 80 = per 600 per
annun. of the decedents IS were white males
% white females. - colored males aud a5 coll
ored females. showing an annual deaf h-rate OF
25l per LOCO for the white population and 4a 4
| Tor the colorcd- From diarrhual diseases there
Were 32 deaths diseases of the nervous system
| ID. consumption 10. pneumonia. diseases of the
heart and typhoid fever 5 each senile debility
4. Bright's disease and malarial fever 3 each:
p white and 81 colored were under 5 years
of age. white and 6 colored were 90 aud
over There We're - births reported a. follows:
"A white males. IL white females l3 colored males
ana Ia colored females showing annual
birth-rate of l6 ; per LOCO per annum for the
white. and 20 for the colored population. Mar
rlages reported. l6-white 10. colored O. Still
births, white, 3; coored. 4.
CHILD KILLS Hrs BROTHER AND HIMSELF
TN Thursday morning. July 2S near Edenion
one of Harvey Burke's boys shot his brother with
/ a pistol. mortally wounding him. Immediately
thereafter lie reloaded the pistol and shot him
self. causing instant death. The boy first shot
/ lived only few hours. What Was the carse or
the shocking affray is unknown. The BOYS were
about 10 and IL years oid.-N. Cdro.iad Clarion.
! The INVISIBLE -Schaebcrlc's comet
Co has not yet shown itself i'm this locality so az
TO be visible To the ordinary star gazers. Ii has
almost reached its perihelion and point of
greatest brightness. but remains still obscured.
No observation of il have been made here The
comet is popularity regarded as a failure.
. saru iroEi br. A@heW.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL EXACTITrDEs-
HOW THOUGHT MAY BE CHANGED.
The Philadelphia Times to-day publishes the
following card from DIR. Agnew:
I'm responding to your editorial OF this morn
ing. August IL, let me say that did not charge
any medical gentleman as Intentionally nisrepIe-
senting my views nor the Times of fdjytca,i,.q
statements on any subject whatever
1t Is very easy even for a medical man in re-
porting an informal conversation on a profess
sional subject. to omit technical cxactitudes
especially where anatomical questions are con-
cerned and thus materially change The true
thought of the informant That such has been
the case in the article which called forth my
card will appear from the following statements
which shall be made as brief as possible:
First. IL is stated that the wound had been
explored to the depth of about seven inches This
statement would lead the reader to infer that
| the exploration had been made from the point
Of entrance of the ball and that the track of the
missile had been traced seven inches. whereas
as was stated the exploration made through
the counter-opening. or abscess. the depth OF
which, TO the point where the ball PASSED the
rib. was two inches and a half which would
! leave for the track of the bali distance only Of
| four and half inches
Second. | am made TO say that the precise To-
cation of the hall is either in the guadraius lum-
/ borum or the psoas magnus muscle. The precise
location of the ball l have never proiessed TO
know. L did say that in my jud sinent the
!
quadratus muscle. behind the kidney. and probi
ably was lodged in the anterior part of the lilac
/ fosSa. The two statements of an exploration
extending seven inches and of a ball lodged in
! the quadratus lumborum muscle are wholly ir-
reconcilable on anatomical grounds. a. the entire
length of the muscle named docs not exoeed
three and a half or four inches. and il is not
probable that. having spent most of nay life i'm
the study of the human body. should make a
mistake on this point.
Third. cut is introduced showing the point
where the ball entered the BODY and another
point at the crest of the iuTn ''p,fcis4y' nd-
eating its present location and which will be
/ seen to be considerably posteTior to a perpen-
dcular dropped from the wound of entrance.
! This diagram. as understand it, Nasintroduced
! to explain the location of the ball as implied by
my statements. Now. In no sense can il be
made TO interpret or explain any statement ever
made by me in reference to this subject The
text of the article distinctly locates the bali at
the crest of the ilium and at its posterior part,
whereas | have always suspected and many
times have said to members of my profession
that there were strong reasons for believing
! that the missile was in the lilac fossa and an
teriorly. If moreover. the ball occupies tie
place Indicated on the diagram, il could readily
be felt by the finger.
Fourth. | am represented as saying that the
! liver may have been bruised. but not accrated,
whereas have invariably stated that after study
! ing the case | was disposed to believe that the
liver had been laceTated. and not perforated
/ the aceIation being produced 10y the rib at the
| time the latter was struck 10y the bad. a suppo-
sition which. IL true. would account for a limited
1 hemoTfa@e. answering to an area of percussion
dulness present after the injury. and Which has
been slowly clearing up since. 1 therefore re-
affirm that I'm no particular of several details
mentioned in regard To the Presidents wound
have been correctly reported. at he sane time
again disclamng any intention of charging
either professional brother or the Tines of in
| tentiOnay misrepresenting my views.
/ liz conclusion. | cannot but feel that an omis-
sion was committed in not allowing me an op
portunity to review the article IN qSics. on befOre
committing it to the wide circulation of The
Times. Ii would at least have saved the neces-
sty for two communications from who. /
assure you does not seek public dispu alton. l
may say further that the criticism to which the
! Presidents medical and surgical attendants
have been subjected does not disturb their
equanimity in the least. They have a RESPONSE
BILE duty to perform. Nothing will be omitted,
nothing knowingly committed, which in their
judgment will endanger this valuable life. and
/ when the proper time arrives they Will submit
| the medical and surgical history of this remark
able injury to the profession. the only tribunal
comnatept tp mass the conduct the Case.