The evening times., 1899-10-30
DEATHS IN TIE DISTRICT
An Increase Noted in the Health
Officers Annual Report.
More Than Six Hundred Over the ne
turns of Inst Year-Tbe Causes and
C0nditions-The Popuiation-sarf-
ous Diseases observation-disclosures
tions Taken Against Epidemics.

nual report to the Commissioners this
morning Vital statistics occupy the BODY
of the report and general resume of the
work of the Health Department TO lows.
In the absence of census during the
period covered by the report 1t has been
necessary to compute ratios upon the -es-
timated population.
The total population during the fiscal
year ended June 80. 1899, is estimated at
PSI. .462 The number Of deaths from all
causes was 6,026, an increase of Gil over
the figures for last year, and the annual
death rate per thousand was 2O96. of the
decedents, 1872 were white and 1854 were
colored an increase in the number OF the
former of 399 and in the latter of ZiZ.
The death rate for the whites increased
from 1853 to 1859, and for the colored
from 27.51 to 29.S1. The deaths from the
various diseases are as follows:
Typhoid fever-Whites: deaths SS; death
rate OLA CoIored: deaths. 81; death rate,
O.9I. All, deaths, 169; death rate, 0.60.,
Typho- malarial fever-Whites: deaths, 5;
death rate. CO.'S. Colored: deaths. 6;
death rate, O.067. All: deaths, IL; death
rate, 0.0S9.
InGuenza-whites: deaths, 11O; death
rate. O.564. Colored: deaths, AZ; death
rate. O.i72. All: deaths. 152; death rate,
0.521.
Epidemic Cerebro-S Spinal Meningitis
Whites: deaths, 45; death rate, OIL. Col
ored: deaths 2S; death rate. O.3O. All:
deaths. 20; death rate, 0.25.
Diphtheria-Whites: deaths 80; death
rate, O.5O. Colored: deaths, 70; death
rate O.s4. All: deaths, ia; death rate.
O61
Croup-Whites: Deaths. 13, death rate,
O.O65. Colored: Deaths, 4 death rate, 0044.
All: Deaths. II; death rate. 0.060.
Measles-Whites: Deaths, Is: death rate.
0.O6. Colored: Deaths, II; death rate, O.16.
All: Deaths, %: death rate, 0.O9.
Whooping cough-Whites: deaths, g.;
death rate. O.0S. Colored: Deaths, S. death
rate. 0.O7 All: Deaths, u; death rate, 0.O4.
Scarlet fever-Whites: Deaths, IS; death
rate. .Oo9. Colored: Deaths. /; death rate,
DOL All: Deaths. 10: death rate, 0.066.
Constitutional diseases-Whites: Deaths.
$50; death rate, 3.29. Colored: Deaths, 621;
death rate. 7.O4. All: Deaths, 1,279; death
late, 4.45.
Local Diseases-Whites: Deaths 1910;
death rate Sal. Colored: Deaths. 1850;
death rate, 14.17. All. deaths, 1880; d ath
rate. 1913.
Developmental Diseases-Whites: Dea hs,
313; death rate. LES. Colored: Deaths. 234;
death rate, 2.62. All, deaths, 547; death
rate. 1.90.
Violence-Whites: Deaths. 159: death
rate. OS0. Colored: Deaths "A; death rate
0.S3. All. deaths. 233: death rate. 0-s1.
One hundred and ninety of the latter
deaths were due TO accidents, 25 were suici-
dal, Is homicidal. and ) by judicial execu-
ton. OF the accidental deaths, 80 were
from scalds and burns, IS from falls, u
oil
from street railways, and u from illumi-
mating gas.
There was large increase in the num-
Der of deaths due TO steam railways being
from u to 20. and slight increase in
those due TO street railways. being from 3
to I. OF the homidical deaths there were
due to stabs, from gunshot wounds, and
/ to an inclsed wound of the throat. The
number of suicides shows a very material
decrease. being from so to 25.
The number of births reported during
the past year was 4,757. The number re-
ported during 1S97'9S was 400. OF the
birth returns for the past year, 1856 were
white children and 1881 colored. Two
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one GER
tifcates were received from physicians. and
1926 from midwives. OF the children born
24S7 were males and 2.210 females.
The number of marriages reported TO the
Health Office during the year was 1,733
and the number of licenses issued for
which there was no return made were
approximately 1.164. The records and
transcripts Of the department were aug
mented by 1887 entries of deaths, births
and marriages.
Attention is called TO the necessity OF
providing fireproof valuts for the proper
preservation of these documents, as it
would be impossible to replace them if
they were ever destroyed.
The number of physicians registered and
licensed under the recent act of Congress
requiring such action is noted in the report
together with the registration of the mid
wives and undertakers. There was no
change in the number or location of the
hospitals and cemeteries during the past
year. Seventy-four bodies were offered to
the various medical colleges for use for
anatomical purposes. A recommendation is
made for an amendment to the legislation
on this subject, in order that the colleges
may secure a more abundant supply of
material for this work.
A long statement of the medical relief
afforded the poor is given in the report.
The number of white persons who were
treated by the physicians to the poor was
2.02S and the number of colored 5,555., OF
the entire population 1883 persons received
medical attention at public expense: or
26.3S out of every 900 Each person treat
ed cost the Government an average of 81 81.
OF this amount, S10i has gone toward the
payment of the physicians. The average
amount which has been received by each
physician for each visit and Office consulta-
tion has been 3S cents. and the average
cost of drugs and sundries was 10 cents.
Attention is called to the law under
which the Health Department is operating,
with reference to scarlet fever and diph-
iberia, which. does not afford the public
the protection it should. The most that it
accomplshes. the Health Officer states, is
the notification of the public that one of
these diseases exists in a house, which is
placarded, so as to enable people to keep
away. So far as it applies to keeping the
inmates of the infected dwelling upon the
premises. or requiring them to use definite
and proper precautions, it is worthless
except as applies to the patient.
beginning will be made during the
present year for the establishment of a
general disinfecting service. The amount
appropriated for this purpose is not sufi-
cient to accomplish all that is necessary,
and the proviso that no part of the sum
is to be used for the employment of addi-
tional employees, will interfere with its
use in the manner desired.
DR.. Woodward compliments the hospital
authorities for their promptness in taking
charge of the smallpox patients that ap-
piled for admission to the various institu-
tions, and he states that the accommoda-
tions at the isolated hospital on the banks
of the Eastern Branch were amply sufi-
cient for ell the patients that were brought
to the place. The cost of the outbreak