Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-10

Annual Report Of the Health Officer.
INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES RELATIVE TO
VITAL STATISTICS, THE ABATEMENT OF NuI-
sANcEs INSPECTION OF PLUMBING &C
The annual report of Health Officer Town
shend for the year ending June so. 1888. was
presented to the Commissioners this morning
1t is. as usual. volumnous and interesting
document, covering Isl closely written pages Of
| iega! cap in addition to large number of
tables. maps, &c.
In the introduction he says: ''The year was
marked by no incident of special moment as
regards the public heath. We were fortunate
In conducting successful campaign against the
| Introduction Of smallpox into our midst during
the fall and winter of 1923 while that scourge
was prevailing in epidemic form in the city of
Baltimore. and were called upon to use our ut
most vigilance during q temporary alarm which
spread throughout the country respecting the
introduction of cholera and yellow fever Ere
quent rains and moderate temperature COM
binedto improve the sanitary condition ofthe city
during the spring and early summer of the pres
ent year, and altogether we have every reason
to tie thankful for unusual healthfulness and free
dom from disease. The fire which occurred in
the building occupied by the department. in
February. 1888. was controlled and eNtermina-
| ted. fortunately for the District. before any of
the valuable records pertaining to vital statistics
We're destroyed or injured.
THE DECREASE IN THE DEATH RATE,
The record of mortality tor the year exhibits q
decrease in the death rate which is eminently
satisfactory. 1t is specially gratifying to this
department to note the fact that, while this de-
crease in the death rate has prevailed in all
classes OF diseases, yet the largest reduction is
shown in the zymotic or preventable class the
annual death rate from ZymOtic diseases for the
past year was 522 per 1000 pei annum. as
against q "a per LOCO for the year ending June
81 1882. showing reduction of LIZ per LOCO
OF population. This .12 per 1000 looks small
III nSures, but when you come to calculate it
upon basis Of 1880 you find that it means
| the lives Of ZIG of our people
10 exhibit clearly the decrease in the death
rate In the various classes of diseases, as COM
pared with previous years. he has Incorporated in
TINS introduction tabular statement showing
tie death rate for eight wears beginning with
1876. when the death rate was $685. and in
Guiding the year just closed. when the death
| rate was % So the mean annual death rate for
the eight years being "a 42. The reduction has
oeen almost uniform from year to year, except
IN 1881, when the death rate increased to "a 23
from y. SO for the preceding year.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS
for the year reached 1883. a decrease, as COM
rate Of 1.4S1z per 1000 per annum Of these
decedents 2270 were white and 2.O16 colored
showing an annual death rate of 1897 per / 600
per annum for the white, 6S for the colored
and ~ for the total population.
NUIsANCES ABATED.
Tabular statements exhibit the work done in
securing the abatement Of nuisances during the
year. There were 2S3 alleys reported az
nuisances during the year, as against 51O for
the year previous. In this connection he invites
the attention of the Commissioners to the
necessity for properly numbering the houses in
improved alleys. There is no proper system of
numbers and the officers, especially the physicians
TO the poor, who are compelled to visit them
often at night are puzzled to locate dwellings of
which they are in search. Referring to the many
nusdnces which result from the Accommodations
! OF ashes on premises, the health officer saws
that if we could succeed in getting the present
accumulations removed he thinks that the reeu-
| lar removal of the ashes from dwellings couid
be accomplished at about the same cost as is
annually paid for the collection of garbage He
| thinks Congress could be impressed with the
wisdom of inaugurating service such as pro-
posed.
In referring to the matter of house nuisances
such as ''houses filthy" and houses unfit for
habltatOn he again invites the attention of the
commissioners to the necessity Tor securing
legislation to cover the ground formerly covered
by section y OF the ordinances providing for the
condemnation OF such houses and the -nuujSh-
| ment by fine Of such persons who, after notice
shall fail to abate the nuisance complained Of
There were 13S cases coming under this head re-
ported last year. and it is readily to be seen how
essential such law is TO efforts. If there is
danger that the municipal code will not be
passed upon at the next session of Congress. it
would be we'll to ask for the passage of a special
act covering this point. Sections and were
left out in the provisions Of the resolution le-
CALLING the health ordinances.
Defects in the surface drainage of wards
caused nuisances in 37S cases during the wear
and in "a cases connection with the public
sewer was enforced This work is pushed for
ward as fast as the sewers are put down; drain
age troubles being mainly confined to the un-
improved portions of the city.
THE REMOVAL OF GARBAGE.
The work Of collecting and removing garbage
| from dwellings has been we'll performed during
the year, and complaints from citizens on this
subject were unfrequent visitors He trusts
that the idea proposed of advertising this SER
vice, and making new contracts for it's perform
ance yearly, will not be adopted. 1t would be
| Impossible for contraction to properly
equip himself and perform the work for term
| of one year without loss at the present rate of
payment. The failure of several contractors has
demonstrated the fact that it is necessary to
make this contract for term Of years.
SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
Ten cases occurred during the year in which
| slaughter houses figured as nusances. We have
succeeded in having slaughter house pretty
generally removed from within the city and its
more densely populated suburbs. and he thinks
the time is not far distant when they will disap-
pear entirely from the District and give place to
a proper abattOir. He has warmly advocated
the establishment Of an abattor heretofore. and
trusts that the parties interested in giving us
! such an establishment will not weary in agita-
ting the subject
OFFAL DEPOT.
For several years he has been urging the ne
cessity for providing some recognized place of
deposit for the city refuse. If such place were
provided, and provision made for regular re-
mOval Of the material there delivered the COM
munity would be ridded OF the hundreds of ac-
cunulations which are constantly causing nuis-
ances throughout the city. The nuisance table
for the past year shows 697 accumulatiOns of
manure. 2,SO9 yards and so lots, which have
been reported as nusances. all of which, he
thinks. would have been obviated by the estab-
lishment of an Offal depot under the care and
supervision of the authorities.
In 1874 cases during the year sewer-traps have
been reported as in state of nuisance By
sewer-traps are meant the catch-basins at the
street corners and mouths of alleys. He has
horafOf0ra paIlnH aft fO