Evening star., 1898-12-05


provement in the drainage and water sun
/ ply OF numerous dwellings which mas been
! accomplished by the Introduction OF sewer
ana water service, in connection with the
| abolition OF privies.
The attention OF those who are Interested
/ IN the statistics regarding diseases is in
vited to the report of the health officer. al
ready published. which gives in minute de-
'aIi III, al lhe particulars regarding the same
! 1he huroer OF marriages from which no
returns were received. as determined by the
| nlherence between the number of licenses
issued by the court and the reports recoiv-
eu at the health department was nIq ar
| approximately 40 per cent OF tbe a,,,fro
number The only remedy for such n,..is,.
was pointed out in the last report Of ti,ls
action. 'i'''
Valuable Records.
Ii is matter Of regret and unao si,.,ss
mat the valuable records of the health de-
Paf'ment, which could not be rer,acad
snouId DC subject TO possible loss bv G,s
nelf Importance is constantly dar,,rs.-,.
go. as Is shown by the fact that JSS trcn-
tiP'S from them have been issued .ltf,i,,.
fTr ~ ear. his is another argument
pal building. IA 'sPiooi ihHnlci-
ne number of cemeteries and cran,-
~. ~ iGs remains the same as at the close or
.ne ,siSt report. Attention is again invited
10 the necessity for the constr,rti,,, - =
PenIS crematory to dispose OF that class
bl lnulRentS who
ter's field eu HI 'he p"--
As it is to the interest NJ a,,.r,, ol,,,-,..
MY 70 promote the study Of scientific r,eii-
Gre the law now in force should bo amend
ca so as TO furnish all material needed for
the study Of anatomy if II can De -,
without injury to th. public Tbo o,.,,.,t
ence OF other places and the ex,ncrie,,,'.. -
TINS District with reference to the r,ra.-
en- Jaw, seems 10 demonstrate that this
might easily be accomplished
AS promised in the nrecc gip,y ,..,,,,,.. ,
thlS department, improved methods have
been adopted in keeping the record of tba
Work cone IN connection with the medical
Fellel OF the poor As. however they con, 4
not be adopted until January l 1S,lS Tho
nsures derived from such record refer only
TO the six months subsequent to that aa.c
During that period +GO7 persons received
medical relief al the hands Of the phv-f-
clans to the poor: of this number go we're
white and 3,661 colored. These figures rem
resent actual persons, there being no DUSSi-
nil;y OF duplication unless patients have
gwen dinerent names at different times. a
source Of error that practically can be 1's-
regarded. To express the same data in "A
dl1erent way. duiing the six months ,nd-
ing June ~, 1875. out Of every | 900 persons
residing in this District 164 received mcdi-
cal treatment through the physicians 10
the poor at the expense Of the public. out
of every 1cn whites, 49l. and out Of every
1909 colored il.22. These patients repre-
sented 22'S families. of which TGn we're
white and 2229 colored. 1t is probable that
these figures are smaller than those for
corresponding periods in previous years. as
the actual number of visits during the past
year 21 15a. and the number of Office cen
sultations. 1.9Si. are considerably below
similar statistics previously compiled.
The average cost Of treating each patient
during the past six months has been ap-
proXimately for services Of physician 10
the poor. 81 cents: for medicines and sun
dries, IL cents; total IS cents. The an
prCNimate average cost per visit dncludi1.
office consultations during tine entire ya4 ar
nas been for SOL vice of phNS NSirian - cents.
'nr medicines p ~ sIN'r'ee. 1n cents. total
II cents. The amount cceived by each ply
$ clan to the poor for each visit or office
consultation was, therefore, on an average.
The Charities.
Recommendations made by this depart
ment on June Il, 1897, in reply to a letter
from the congressional joint select commit
tee to investigate the charities and reform
atory institutions in the District Of CO.
lumbia having received the Endorsement Of
that committee, have been carried into ef-
feet since June l. Under the system adopt
ed all calls for the service of physician TO
the poor are left at police station houses. in
hooks provided for that purpose. If the
call is in the nature of an emergency. the
person bringing the call to the station
house is directed to the office of the physi-
clan: otherwise the physician received The
call upon visiting the station which ne
does once twice a day. BY this method
patients are not confused by changes In
boundaries of district assigned to physicians
Ia the poor nor by changes OF The physi-
clans to the poor themselves. They always
are assured that the calls left by them are
properly recorded and are delivered 10 the
proper physician. In case Of complaints Of
the failure Of any physician to respond
promptly to a call. the time Of the receipt
of such call at the station house is a ma
ter Of record as well as the time OF its de
livery to the physician. so that such COM
plants are not, as heretofore. impossible
of either substantiation or disproval, but can
be very readily verified or otherwise. Ply
sicans to the poor are themselves relieved
of the presence OF untidy, and I'm many
cases unclean. official patients about their
offices. The presence Of such patients there
has always been a serious dra wback to
physicians to the poor, interfering. as Il
did, with private practice. The change is
a relief to them and will Justify physicians
in accepting such appointments who could
not have done under other conditions.
While the new system has not been in
operation long enough to speak positively
as 10 its merits, SO far as conclusion can
be drawn from the past month II has been
very satisfactory TO all concerned.
Disinfection Station.
The disirfection of such articles as could
be moved to the municipal disinfecting sta
ton and disinfected by steam has been done
as heretofore under the direction of ihe
health department. but the disinfection of
the premises themselves has necessarily
of the absence of any appropriation 10 ena-
bic the health Office to do the work. The
disadvantages of such a system have been
pointed out in previous reports. 1t is hoped
that some provision can be made in the near
future for the establishment of a general
disinfecting service.
Decisions of the attorney have, from time
to time. shorn the health department OF al
most all of the authority which it was for
merly supposed to have under the act to
prevent the spread of scarlet fever and
diphtheria. Its work, therefore, is now al
most entirely educational in character and
not conducive to the best results. Unless
amendments to the existing law are secured
or a new law passed no action can be taken
looking toward the limitation OF the spread
of these diseases.
Contagious Diseases.
The delay which necessarily took place in
constructing buildings for the treatment Of
minor contagious diseases, as provided for
by the act of March 3, 1897. though it was
at the time matter of regret and disap-
pointment. has resulted to the best inter
est of the community. Instead OF the
amount then appropriated-$30.000 900 for two
wards-provision has been made by the
sundry civil act of July /, 1898. of S32.O0O
for the construction of such buildings on
tt.a l.. r.. I