The times., 1899-08-06

stricken died. Nearly every house, IL SEEM
ed, displayed ths yellow flag. which was
then used in pace Of the present small
FOX yellow card. The high rate OF mortal
lty then was due in a great measure 10
the absence of remedies now known and
used. After that epidemic a period of if-
teen years passed without a single death
from smallpox. The people had seen so
much smallpox during the war, though,
that there was not very much OF a scare
at the time. There was a smallpox hos
pital on kalorama Hill during the war
where thousands of cases were attended.
brig. Gen. Edward Fife, who was a grad
uate of West Point and an accomplishe5
physician, was in charge of the smallpox
camp. During the latter part of the 'sG's. 4"
continued DR.. Moore in his pleasant way.
there was another slight invasion of
smallpox. II did not amount to much. The
malady reappeared again in 1915, origi-
mating from New Hampshire case. Then
nothing more was heard Of the disease
until last winter, when there was one death
out of a total of twenty cases. The
recent epidemic was introduced by negroes
coming from Alexandria, which was in
feeted- The last case was discharged from
the local smallpox hospital June 2
One OF our NOSE malignant epidemies
was that OF grip, which appeared here De-
cember 81, 1890. 1t had prevailed in the
Orient for several years, and gradually
Travelled westward across Europe follow
ing the lines Of travel. 1t appeared in
England in 1883, broke out in Canada the
following winter, and, advancing south
ward through the United States in jan
uary, 1890, reached Washington on the lass
day of 1890, probably as quickly as any
other Eastern city. It extended to all
parts OF the land. II was a new malady
Physicians did not know how to treat it,
The epidemic had no other name than grip
until German and English physicians
suggested that the medical fraternity cali
the disease epidemic influenza 1t was a
singular new disease. 1t did not disap-
pear, but has reappeared annually with
greater or less intensity. Last year there
were 152 deaths here from the disorder,
and the number of cases was enormous
throughout the winter. 1t is disease that
attacks the nervous centres and in many
instances its first appearance in the sys-
tenn induces emotional suicidal mania.
Another local epidemic worthy of men,
tlon was that of cholera infantum which
broke out in 1892. During one month there
were S35 deaths that year from all causes
and of this number 575 deaths were caus-
ed by summer complaints or cholera in
fantum. There were sixty-two deaths one
day, the highest ever known in Washing
Sth- hC ddily dhCld6c VI HdSrAus
normal conditions, is about sixteen
DR.. Moore, the statistician, has spent
many hours studying the philosophy of the
mortality records and he has succeeded in
discovering that deaths appear to be con-
trclled by certain fixed laws He has as
eertained through ten years of observation
OF his tables that the average number of
deaths between certain ages is about the
same annually. In other words, Just so
Cf f0f-1
in Washington annually and this state
ment is based upon facts which are so true
that one would think deaths are governed
by fixed laws. One-third CT the total num-
ber of deaths from all causes are children
under five years of age and of this num-
Der three-fourths are under one year of
age. These figures are not only true of the
local mortality, but DR.. Moore has ascer-
tanned from foreign reports that they hold
good the world over, showing that the
causes of death among Caucasian people
are pretty general.
There is general law of death" said
DR.. Moore. which seems to fix
it that number of persons of
certain age shall die an
nually. This statement is mathematicalIy
accurate There is nothing loose OF hap
hazard about the manner in which it is
accomplished The figures themselves show
IL we ma In 1893 an average OF twenty
eight years, in 1894 an average of twenty
nine years, in 1895 an average of thirty-one
years, in 1895 an average of thirty years
in 1897 an average of thirty-two years, in
1898 an average OF thirty-one years, and
last year an average of thirty-two Then
look at the deaths OF all persons over
twenty-five years of age, and we find
that the average death age in 1893 forty
i've years, in 1894 forty-four years, in 1895
forty-five years, in 1886 forty-six years.
IN 1887 forty-seven years, and in 1895
forty-fve years. The average of all persons !
over twenty years of age in each year was !
N 1898 fifty years, in 1894 forty-nine years. 7
in 1895 fifty years, in 1896 fifty-one years !
in 1887 ffty-one years, in 1898 forty-nine |
years. and in 1899 fifty years. The average |
age of all persons over forty years of age |
was in 1898 sixty-one years, in 1894 sixty |
years, in 1895 sixtyone years, in 1896 sixty |
years, in 1897 sixty-two years, in 1898 sixty |
one years, and in 1898 sixty-one years"
The Importance of these figures is to be |
found in the fact that they show that the 4
total length of life in the District has In |
creased within the last seven years, due /
probably 10 improvements in sanitary con. /
iitions, the sewage system, public street |
and the system of garbage COL
lection by the municipality. There are
many other such laws that have been as
by the statistician but too much
space would be required TO enumerate them
II is the perfect method of recording all
leaths that makes such calculations posi-
Die. On the whole it is one of the most
'aiuable collection of statistics in the coun-
ry.