The evening times., 1896-11-09
HEAL TIL OF. THE DISTRICT
Facts and. Figures of Dr..
W. 0iWard'S Annual Report.
LOCAL DISEASES NUMEROUS
Establishment OF Crematory for Poor
House Bodies ReccmneEded-In-
crease of Inspection Force Aasked
For CrenuIion Preferred to Re-
.duction in Disposal of Carriage.

Health Officer Woodward has just sub
mltted 20 the Commissioners tpe report OF
the operations OF his department for the
year ending June 80, 1896.
ltemDFaUcsa u stsiteinenU of vital statistics,
a comparative showing of tie deaths from
Zymouc diseases, constitutional diseases,
local ailments, ana the mortuary record
among infants. The report also contains the
| he3dtn cfflcer's suggestions for the year
lS97-'9S.
The total of deaths in the District frJm
all causes during the year just closed was
5,904, and the distribution as TO sex and
color was as follows: White males, $40;
white females, ,492; colored males, 80;
oolored females, ,312. The annual death
rate for the year was y 40. For the
White, Il 81 cuiored, 20 81.
IGese iIgures, III. " oCdward says. We're
ba sed upon a white population OF 81 600,
and a cClnred population Of $500, or "a
total OF 275,OOO, an estimate predicated
upon the police census of December, $50.
INCREASE OF DEATHS.
There were increases over the previous
year as follows: From Zymotic diseases,
211; constitutional, 20; dev alUpmental. 80.
decrea sc of ain deaths from violence is
shown. The deaths from zymOtic diseases
numbered 1 ,247 being 2l.12 per cent of
the total mortality. Fifty-nine per cent
of the deaths from this cause occurred
among chilGEeD-under five years of age,
ana rs pei cent among children in their
first year.----------
the principal causes of the deaths in
this class were ricaslcs, diphiheria, typhoid
fever, malarial fever, grip, diarrhoeal
diseases, of which there We're 46S fatal
cases, and scarlet fever.
a total Of POI deaths occurred from
constitutional diseases, of which 917
were tuDcrcular, and IA were dlathetlc-
i'll type.
A type of disease termed local" DR..
Woodward says, embraces eight subclasses
or orders, ana from these 2,961 deaths
resulted, or i5.5S per cent of the whole
number. They Include diseases of the nerv-
Gus system, apoplexy, cerebral and cerehro-
spinal meningitis, organic brain disease,
and ConvulSions.
DEATHS BY VIOLENCE.
Deaths by violence numbered 234. The
suicides aggregated 3S. or these 80 We're
white and culurcd. There were IFS deaths
from accidents. IA from homicide, and hang
ing by judicial direction, i. Tie principal
cause Of the accidental deaths was drown
ing.
The office recordS show a total of 47O6
births, decrease OF IS over the previous
Years -TLerf were 617 illcgitimate births
and $50 dead born. The records also note a
total OF 2,237 maria ges. This is 93l less
than the licenses reported as issued by the
clerk OF the court.
The law in relation TO maria ges, Dr.
Woodward observes made no change
in the requirement as To making returns
To the health officer by the officiating
clergyman or other official 1t should he
better understood by the clergy that this
duty is due to not only the parties mar
ried, but To their descendants and legal
represents tiveS.
The records of the health office now con-
tain the official returns Of over %, 900 mar
riaCes in the District. transcripts of these
records, TO be used as evidence before the
courts and governmental departments are
constantly called for. The records also
contain report OF 10 900 deaths and ss,-
600 deaths.
CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIES
There has been no change" the health
officer says, lin the number of cemeteries
He noes the effort to establish hurying
ground in immediate proximity to a thckly
settled community, which led to vigorous
protests on the part Of citizens, and this
led to the Introduction Of tw o bills in Con
greSs to regulate the location OF cemeteries
The erection of a crematory for human
remains in Tie midst of business section
Of the city also demonstrated the need IF
a law relative 10 such matters.'
The doctor reneHs his recommendation
made IN his last report for the erection of
a crematory for the lncneratiOn of human
bodies on reservation 13- He also SAYS in
reference to the distribution by hospitals
of bodies intended for dissection at the
several Colleges that IF Washington is
to become a center OF medical education
II VIII be necessary to take steps to require
thatall available material shall be delivered
for use"
Its noted in his report that hospitals are
disinclined to deliver bodies, although
authorized to do so by law, and the doc
tor wants the law. made mandatory and
suggests the creation of an anatomical com
mission such as in existence in Pennsylva-
mia.
DR.. Woodward mentions as a gratifying