Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-02

II ! evident that the proportion Of colored
people IN a city makes a considerable difference
in its d'G,h rate and that the proportion of in
fants present Is a still more Important factor
In every large city the death rate in certain
districts l. from two to three times as great
IL l. in other districts; hence to OBJ
tain really useful measures of the healt hfulness
az q place. which will show where the danger
oG, spots are ard where remedies should be APP
Piled. we need To know the average population
AM sne number of deaths for different districts
vita tt-tInction of ages and. in some cities of
c"lC-. IN order that NAV calculate these
local death rates In the absence of this in
formation we have no definite. reliable and &C
eurote. or. in Other words scientific. means of
discovering the location and character OF the
trouble II -lck city or of telling
whether the remedies are useful or not.
We may gUess and estimate and pre-
scribe. the doctors used to do before
they harmed how to count the pulse and meas
urs the temperature. and listen 10 the sounds
o. tn lungs and heart. but it Is all matter OF
opinion and rule of thumb. with great varia-
tons IN size and shape Of the SaId thumbs. 4
proper system Of municipal bookkeeping which
vii show FOR different parts of the city the
Quantity of. and loss and gain in life. is. there
rcre. "a very important sanitary need OF large
city The Subdivisions required for this pur-
poe will not usually be wards. because ward
Boundaries are not formed with reference to
sti'rde or drainage. or character of habitations,
o. other things which influence the healIhfulness
OF a district. They should usually be smaller
than wards. each including. far ; possible.
fairly homogeneous group of people, a.. for ex-
ample. ~ tenement house group, a waterside
group, a best house group. &c.
THE DATA NECESSARY.
Now. il should be distinctly understood that
1t J. not an easy matter to obtain the informa-
tion and keep the records required for such a
Set OF books rs has been indicated There il
no. much difficulty in obtaining the records Of
death required. Though even for this pur-
pose constant vigilance is required to secure
accurate returns "a 70 age and cause of DEATH
Ead for persons dying III hospitals or public
institutions the proJer locality to which tlr.,
death should he charged. but the great trouble
L. 20 obtain the data aS 10 the mean or average
population of each group of age. ir each dis
t-ict No citv in the United States has or has
ever had such data fog dlffs rent part. OF the
civ with the exception OF the gross population
by y,r,i. In the eleventh census an attempt
was made 90 provide such data tor New York
Broaklru. Philadelphia. Boston, Baltimore and
Warrington, and the result may be the COM
rnencemeut OF this kind of local records: but
each large CITY should from time TO time. a.
least once in i've YEAR. obtain this iuiOrma-
zion for itself. a=certainiug for each house the
name. sex. age, race and occupation of each IN
habi,ant and then compiling these BY blocks
squares 81 a. 20 be available for statistical ma
ter:lL Attempt t. cheIpen and sImpllfy such
a count Dv omitting details of age race and Oc-
cuyatlun are very poor economy; these details
are fcEIis cd for man purposes IN STUDIES o.
means o. improve the social cOndltlon. a. wei
o. o. preventing unnecessary deaths, OF the
people
THE WATER SUPPLY
The most important factor IN municipal