The times., 1897-07-15
RECKONING OF MORTALITY
Humanity Holding Its Own Some-
what Better Than Usual.
VITAL STATISTICS SHOW 1T
Death Rate Lower Than in Any
Fiscal Year for q Long Period.
"Zymotic Diseases" Have Di-
minished-Not So Many Births
Reported-In rease of Suicides.

As shown by the recent police census,
tie population of the District of Columbia
was, in the spring OF this year, 277 1872,
OF " which 1s9, ,457 were whites and SS,325
colored Approximately 32 per cent of
the entire population is therefore, made
Up OF tie colored race. The average
annual increase since the last preceding
police census December, 1S9D has been
cent, and for the colored, .6S per ceEt.
Tie vital statistics for the fiscal year
Just ended VIII be based upon the figures
given above.
There occurred during the year 5,7o7
deaths OF these 3.2l6 We're whites, aud
2,52l colored.
The general death rate was, therefore,
90 Il per thousand. IL has fallen below
this figure only once during the past
twenty-five years tin 1898, 20. 90, the
average death rate for that time being
23 So. Among the whites the death rate
was l7II, the lowest point reached at
any time during the above period. The
death rate fol the coloTed race was, now
ever, Is. So, the lowest, except in 1896
wien it reached isis.
The NEST satisfactory feature of the
years mortality table is the very con-
siderablc diminution in the deaths from
| .'Zvmotic Diseases The entire number OF
such deaths recorded was s91, while dur
ing the preceding year it was 1,O5i In
certain diseases of this class the death
list shows an increase. Thus tile number
OF fatal cases OF diphtheria rose from 10
TO 10; IF whOping cough from p 10 90;
and of grippe from 53 To lis. The ie-
| crease in the total number Of deaths OF
| this class is accounted for by the dimnu-
| ton in the number of fatal cases of measles
! from 30 10 3; Of scarlet fever, from l3 to
/; of Group (sO-calledl, from to s. OF
typhoid fever, from 22S to 1i7; Of na!ar-
ial fever tso-called), from 81 to 81; and
| of iia rrhceal diseases, from f6S To Sos.
The number of deaths from dIphtheria
| is rot excessive, as, except during the
| year Immediately preceding, IL has rot
| during any previous year fallen so low
| since 1888. The actual number of cases
Of this disease which We're reported was
| els
There is no previous record Of any veal
! passing with hut a single death from
scarlet fever The prevailing mild type
Of this disease is indicated by the fact
that there were 160 cases registered dur
ing the year covered by this statement.
The most important feature in the I'M
| provement in the death-rate III the zymoti'
class is the very marked decrease in tn
| nuniber OF fatal cases OF the filth dis
eases, viz, typhoid fever and diarrhoea
diseases And while malarial fever itself
cannot be properly classed with such dis
eases, the extreme rarity of fatal case
of such fever, in this climate, in the prac
tice OF many of the best-infoaTGed physt
clans, renders it not unlikely that man.
of the deaths reported as due to this dis
ease were due to typhoid fever. So tia
the apparent decrease in the prevalence
of ''malaIial fever" may also be considere
in this connection.
This decrease is as follows: