Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-17
OUR HEALTH IS GOOD
lichmondS Death Rate, When Rightly
ASceftained, Is Not High.
THE BASIS OF CALCULATION.
Population Estimates for lntercenSal
Periods Must Be Accurate.
NAVE CLAIMED TOO MUCH.
Eeckoned on Census Figures the Nor
tality Would Be Lower.
GETTING STEADILY BETTER.
is the City GrOWS the Ratio Of Deaths
Decreases.
INJUSTICE OF COMPARISONS.
When Made There Are Many Points 10
Be Considered.
RICHMOND STANDS THIRD.
Few Cities North or South Make as Good
a Showing.
FEW DIE OF ZYkOTIC DISEASES,
Sanitary Condition of the City Shown TO
Bc Good-Other r acts About Our
vital statistics
FEW DIE OF ZYKOTIC DISEASES
Sanitary Condition of the City Shown TO
Re Good-Other acts About Our
Vital Statistics.
July II, 1894.

July II. 1884,.
TO the Editor OF the Dispatch:
Much has been said and written in re-
gard 10 the health Of Richmond, yet
careful sitting OF the remarks on the sub
ject fail 10 convey an intelligent reply 10
the question whether Richmond is
healthy city or not \ careless and SUI
perhCial view Of the matter would prob
ably lead TO the conclusion that there
NUT b. some good reason to believe that
Richmond is not as healthy a city as
she ought TO be. and that in comparison
with other cities her position as regards
hcalthfulness was below the average. At
ter careful study of the available sta
tstics and other material covering
period of twenty years, | have arrived
at Il certain conclusion. which ! hope
VIII correct many erroneous views at
present held by those who have given but
little thought to a serious study of the
subject. Tie question whether Richmond
is a healthy or unhealthy city is one Of
the utmost Importance TO every resident
az the city. and if l have failed TO pre-
= ~ the matter in the manner it'deserves,
nope that the subject will be discussed
and investigated until all that can be said
on the subject has been brought forward.
Before | enter on a general discussion
If the mortality statistics of Richmond,
L will be necessary for me to explain the
meaning of what is known as the death
rate" or rate Of mortality" and the
manner and method by which the rate is
calculated. a subject on which there Is
much difference of opinion.
WHAT DEATH-RATE MEANS.
The death-rate of a community is the
relation OF the number of deaths that
occur each year to the resident popu-
lation of the community. That is to say,
If a city has a population of lW.Vp ana
1850 deaths occur during a certain year
the rate would be one death to every
nifty inhabitants. more modern
method. but which is now in universal
use all over the civilized world. is to
express the rate of mortality by the
number Of deaths that occur in each l,VN
of the population According to the above
example If 1000 deaths occurred among
.0o0U people. the rate would be ~ per
100 of living population. But while this
method has been adopted in nearly all
the calculations of mortality, the basis
of the rate-that is, the population Itself
has always been a very uncertain 1ac-
tor. and the cause of much error in the
calculation of the mortality OF our cities.
Lot, Ion, &c a nv
the government every ten years some
States take a census at the middle OF the
leccnnial period. This Is done IN Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, New jersey etc'
Now a correct death-rate presupposes the
knowledce of the actual population. Since
this &c not POSSIBLE except for census
wears. IL has been found necessary 10
ADOPT some method of calculating the
incubation for the intercens'h period
This is done on the basis of the increase
In the population of d given community
during the past decade or qunquenihal
ner,od as the case may be. 1t is assumed
that the population OF a given community
Will increase at about the same ra'e
during the present decade as IT did uur
ing the preceding ten years as shown py
the census. OF course such an estimate
cannot be absolutely correct especially
where there is large influx of country
or foreign population. but in most In
stances the estimate will fall short but
little of the actual condition.
is IN GENERAL USE.
This method, which is known as
the "geometrical calculation" Is en-
pioyed by all of the most advanced
statistical offices in Europe and this
country, and until 1891 was en-
ployed by the editor Of the Massachu-
sets registration report. For reasons
contrary to all experience the present
editor OF the report for two years past
has gone back TO the Anticipated ana
utterly unreliable method of calculating
the present death-rate on the census popu-
lation of 1890. Such a rate. as 1t VIII
appear to any one. must, of necessity. be
too high, since there is a positive natural
increase in the population, as well as an
Increase by immigration. 1t is very UNI
fortunate that this should have been done
especially In Massachusetts, the regis
trs.tion reports of which State up to the
year 1880 were among the most valuable
statistical documents published in this
country. What 10 true OF the present
report Of Massachusetts, Is equally true OF
Richmond. that is 10 say. the present
death raAe OF Richmond is based on an
assumed population and what is stiil
more unfortunate. this has been the case
every year. with the exception OF 1888.
when municipal census was taken.
For all other years the stated death-rate
= without value. and all deductions made
on the basis OF such death-rates are equally
valuelesss. For the purposes OF making
clear this most important and vital point
IN THIS discussion, have carefully gone
over the reports of the Board OF Health
for the period is74's3. and, in the follow
ing table. give statement Of the popun-
ton basis as It has been used In me