Evening star., 1900-10-22
Report Of District Conditions by Dr.
y. G. Woodward.
THE NUMBER OF DEATHS IN A YEAR
Detailed Statement Concerning the
Diseases Prevalent Here.
MARRIAGES AND BIRTHS

DR.. VIM. c. Woodward, the health officer
of the District, today submitted to the Com
missioners report of the operations of his
department during the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1900 and of the condition of the
public health of the municipality during
that period. The first part Of the report is
devoted to vital statistics, and, referring to
the population Of the District, DR.. Wood
ward says:
''The population Of the District of Column
bia, as shown by the United States census
taken in June, 1900. was ,71s. The av-
erage density of population Is therefore
7.23 per acre, If we exclude the area cov-
cred by water; otherwise, 6.2S per acre.
CThe area of the District is 69.25 square
miles, of which nine square miles are COW
cred by water) No computation has yet
been made by the census bureau as to the
distribution of population by race, age or
sex, and in view of the wide discrepancy
between the total population as shown by
the federal census and the total population
as calculated by this department on the
basis of the latest police censuses and of
the school enrollments it has been deemed
best not to undertake to calculate death
rates for races, sexes or ages on the basis
of an estimated population, but rather to
defer the compilation of such data until
the returns from the recent census shall
nave been completed.
As to Population.
LAS the federal census was taken in June
1900, while the middle Of the year covered
by this report occurred in December, 1899,
1t has been necessary to compute the prob
able population at the latter time, repre-
senting as nearly as can be ascertained the
average daily population during the year.
This has been done, therefore, upon the
ho ocic o$ oF %In
ton in geometrical ratio since the latest
police census, April, 1897, without consider
ing any of the factors which may possibly
have led to the presence of an unusual
number of people in this District in De-
cember."
The total number of deaths which oc-
CURED from all causes during the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1900, was 5,953, de-
crease Of 7S in the actual number of deaths
since last year. The death rate was there
fore 2137 per thousand, decrease Of OPS
The average annual death rate during the
past five years has been 2O.95. OF the de-
cedents 1895 were white and 2,62s colored
the decreass in the former being At and in
Classifying by SEX 3,0o6 Of the deceased
were males. a decrease of 14S since last
year. and 12,S97 were females an increase
of 75;s Distributed by age, 1.s43. or 1896
during the first five years of life and 1,314,
or 22:6S per cent. during the first year. OF
all white decedents 795 or 1890 per cent,
were less than five years old. and $50, or
1854 per cent. were less than one year Of
age. In the colored race the deaths Of chill
dren under five years of age amounted to
1,O48. or 39,SS per cent Of the total colored
mortality and those Of children in the first
year Of life numbered 752, or 2S.61 per cent.
The average age of all decedents was 81
years months and "a days; Of the whites
alone, 80 years months and IL days, and Of
the coiored. 25 years, months and days
These figures do not vary materially from
those Of last year. Five persons were re-
ported to have passed the century mark.
lived beyond the allotted three score and
ten.