The times., 1897-07-15


While it is not entirely safe 10 base
conclusions upon this Improvement in the
death rate for single year, yet its coin
cidence with the closing Of very cOnsid-
erabIe number of surface wells, with the
replacement of more than thousand box
plivies by water closets, and the proper
drainage OF the premises, ana with a
closer supervision OF the milk supply, IS very
suggestive of some relation 1f cause and
effect, and possibly justffies US in eNpa';t-
ing still further Improvement in the future
The present fall in the typhoid fever death
rate is especially satisfactory, as II had
continually increased since 1887. The
death rate from this disease for the past
year, .53 per thousand, is the lowest since
1854, and IS considerably lower than that
for the past twenty-five years, "a.
The number of deaths from tuberculosis
was s5S. while during the preceding year
there were 977 deaths charged to this
| disease
From violence there were 22S deaths,
a decrease Of during the year 9th ,se,
| 9 resulted fromin juries receiv ed from street
| railway cars, an increase OF 3, and 10
| from in jurieS received from team always,
a decrease of =. The figures in Relation 20
] Sltiill IdilNdIS dES III tAItSS. tl tOIt~t,
Of the number OF fatal accidents from such
conveyances which actually occurred with
| in the District of Columbia rs rot nfre-
qucntly persons who have been seriously
injured in adjoining States are brought
here for treatment and die, while the
| reverse seldom occurs.
The number Of deaths from suicide was
Al an increase of 9 over the cores pond
/ ing figures for the preceding year, and an
Increase of 6 !, or almost 15 per cent over
tire highest number previously recorded.
| The average number of suicides per an
num- during the past twenty-five years has
been 17.2; during the five years period,
| 1878 To $50 it was 10; from Ss3 10 SS7
il TGse 20 ia: during the following five
years, SIS to 1892, it was 23.2, and
during the period lust ended 1S93 to 1897,
it was 39.4. The population has not
| doubled, hut tile plmber of suicides has
increased more than three-fold.
The number of births reported was A.
573, which is probably al least one-third
less than the number which actually oc.
Cured.
Marriage returns Were received from 1,
35S cases. a decrease of $40, due prob
ably TO a very general ignorance of the
| fact that the recently enacted maria c,.
law did not repeal the ordinance requiring
that such ceremonies he reported to the
health office.
The freque Mt failures to make the returns
of births and marriages is greatly to be
deprecated, but since d knowledge OF such
ccurrences does not reach the health office
unless such returns be made, 1t is very tiif.
ficult To secure the evidence necessary 20
enforce the law through the courts.
The mortality in the District during the
Fast week was 12o, as compared with g
in the CHE preceding. Classified as 10 race.
81 of the deccdents were white and SO
c,lorcd The annual Geaih rates sctnrd
inGiv were les for the white. a. 6 sor
the Coiorrd. una 22 per thousa M a. tota
pcpalFhsu Deaths frou eiarrlsoesl siisfasa.
a'rnrfsfcd 3 There wefe tpee fatal ca~sl
ar rrrtulr frrer end one frssn wtrsapiss
e fE He ate 1anr rseaeps t1,er.
w aatH frs Freresfa Fnsn
~ m