The Washington times., 1894-11-20
CONCERNS OF THE DISTRICT
Health Office Report Submitted for
the Last Fiscal Year.
MILK STANDARD SUGGESTED
Commissioners Approve Ethe Instructions to
the Police for the Coming Census-Litiga-
ton Over a Dead Mans Funds-F. W.
PilIing's Application Placed On File.

C. NJ Hammett, NJ. D., late health officer
Of the District. has submitted to the Commis-
sioners the twenty-third annual report due
for the year ending June so. 1894. The
total of deaths was: Whites, $685.
colored. 2.7lO. The death rates for
nineteen years, beginning with 1876,
are given, the lowest per centage per 900
being in 1880, given at 1925, white, and in
1887, colored, 80 10. The mean is given as,
white. ls.4s; colored, 1890; total, 23.4
Death rate for last wear, %. .l6 The decrease
in the death rate fer last year over the pre-
cedinc year is stated at 49, This decrease
1 occurred mainly among the classes OF dis
eases wni ch include brain. heart and lung
disorders.
The work OF food inspection shows
material increase in the condemnation
OF unwholesome products over any
one OF the eight years previous, the
enumeration OF articles taking in the
whole range of marketable commodities in the
food and fruit line. There were 430, us BUSH
els Of oysters inspected, 442S59 shad, and
9,030OO0 herring The enumeration total
embraces twenry-nine varieties OF marine
products.
The number OF patients among the poor
under treatment during the year was l6,lO9
in S93 the number was l., ,43O. The patients
were divided between the races, as: white
G,ll2: coiored, 9.5JI. Cost OF medicines, 1894,
S3.63636; 1888, -, 2,75355.
Fourteen thousand one hundred and
seyenty-two tons Of garbage were removed
during the year, exclusive OF night-soil.
There we re ,025 burial permits for all pur-
poses; 562 Of these were for still births and
l47 for disinterment of bodies There were
S47 blrials at public expense, as against SOB
the previous year. Special examinations OF
. ia. s-E a. a-.sa ID
liberia and scarlatina were made in 81 in
[ stances.
Il is suggested that standard be fixed by
law for the quality of the milk sold in the
District and special attention is asked FOR it.
The number OF analyses made by the chemist
during the year is given as: Milk, l,l75;
/ cream. 33 butter IS: vinegar. Al; cOlored
confectionery, l3: water from public wells. %;
water from private wells, 80: miscellaneous,
is. Total. J. 420 Referring 10 the milk sup
ply, the chemist says: "Nhile a few of the
samples collected al the depots had evidently
been tampered with. vet the average per cent
Of the lat Tor the 3l7 samples was 3.S8; while
the 7g5 samples collected about the city
showed q percentage OF only 3.27. or re-
moyal OF nearly 20 per cent. OF the richness
OF the milk and 249 OF the latter samples
We're below 8 per cent.
Ihiry-three convictions only were secured
for violations of the law. simply because, as
. the CHEMIST tAtldluss the Jaw pEOFlGeS a
penalty only where something has been added
10 the milk. This provision he regards rs
radically wrong. He thinks the standard
should be 9.5 per cent. OF butter fat. p. per
cent. Of total solids, or not more than $40 OF
water and not less than ST OF solids not fat.
/ The chemist thinks the Health Office should
have exclusive jurisdiction over the milk
/ supply.
Thirty-three samples of water were found
/ TO be contaminated, and only two of the vine
! gar samples were found TO meet the require
ments of pure cider vinegar Many of the
samples OF so-caled butter were found To be
oleomargarine. Typhoid fever caused 191
deaths in localities widely scattered, and
la grippe was responsible for 147 deaths
The deaths OF children numbered 1922, OF
which total I,646 were under one year of age;
OF old age, 172 deaths occurred, Sc cases being
. Of persons between eighty and ninety years
. Of age, and p between ninety and one hun
/ dred. Violence caused 267 deaths, I'll being
accidental, IL EomiciGes. and Il suicides.
Eighteen Of the accidental deaths were caused
by railways.
The Commissioners have approved the in
4 stru.tioDs issued TO the police in connection
with the recent order for a census to be taken
/ OF the District, which provides thatthe lieuten-
ants shall divide the city and suburban pre-
I ciucts into enumeration districts and assign
an officer TO each. Persons who habitually
sleep in the District, those who reside in the
District but who have business elsewhere. or
who are without business, and those whose
/ residence Is in the District but who spend the
summers at other points, aret 10 be enumerated.
The Commissioners issued orders yesterday
I as follows:
That a sewer in alley in rear of Arthur
street, AnRcostia, be added TO the provisional
schedule for 1886.
That sewer be construed across Bright
wood avenue in the line of Sheridan avenue,
/ and also in the east side OF Brightwood avenue,
between Sheridan and Whitney avenues.
That water-mains be laid, respectively. in
I the west side OF South Capitol street. between
/ c and d streets. and in alleys of square 575.
That Hill & Prigg be registered as master
/ plumbers and gas-htters, after they file proper
bond.
That a sewer on E street, between Seventh
and Eighth streets, be added to the pro-
/ visIonGl schedule of sewers to be constructed
in 1886; also one in square 80.
Building permits issued yesterday: NJ 4.
! Dugan. private stables, Nos. 1891 and 1888 Il
| street northwest, 81, 500; S. VI. Burgess,
dwelling, No. 1920 Eighteenth street north
4 west, 1000; James j. Sheehy, store and
J dwelling, corner Second and Is streets north
] east. "a. 500; Robert Mardell. private stable
! rear Of no. GA street northwest. $500.
c. c. Tucker VIII be heard this morning
4 by the Commissioners in regard 10 a claim
which he has. supported by judgment OBJ
tanned through the courts. against the police
I relief fund. The amount involved is S7OO
and was taken from the person of an unknown
/ dead man. No one having claimed the body
! at the time ii was found the money was, under
I the law, covered into the Treasury to the
J credit of the relief fund, but afterward Tucker
! obtained letters Of administration upon the
dead mans estate and sued for recovery
Supt. Falls of the boys reform school,
] reneWs The request submitted in his annual
report for action by the Commissioners to Sc
] cure favorable action early in the coming ses-
sion Of Congress for an appropriation to pro-
vide teachers for the new family building at
the institution.
President Williamson, of the Y N. C. A. i,
] has written TO the Commissioners asking that
no shade trees shall be set out on the street
fronting the associations property.
T. W. PiliinG's application for the appoint
ment of building inspector was filed with the
/ Commissioners yesterday. 1t was ba cked by
a numerously signed petition.
Commissioners Truesdell and Powell gave
a large portion Of their time yesterday after
noon and evening to a consultation with
! Frederick Law Olmstead concerning the
/ proposed extension of streets and avenues in
/ the District under the terms of the appropria-
| ton for the preparation OF sketch plans Of
/ the improvement. The sum of So 900 was set
/ aside TO be paid tO Mr.. Olmstead for the
/ plans. payable upon acceptance of his
/ report. The engineer department under
! Commissioner Powell, went on with the
work and prepared the sketch plans. and it
was to give Mr. Olmstead full information of
/ the proposed extensions that the conference
/ was held yesterday.
/ The late T. Kurtz johnson having been on
/ the official bond of Commissioner Truesdel
a new bond became necessary. This was
/ promptly fled by the Commissioner, and no
/ Inconvenience and but little delay was occa-
I stoned