The evening times., 1901-10-28
The LOCAL DEATH RECORD
Report Of DIR. Woodward for the
Last Fiscal Year.

| Comparison Of the Vital Statistics of
the DistrIct-increnscd Fatalities
From Diabetes and Alcoholism.
HOmicides, Suicides. and Accidents
Dr William c.. Woodward. the Health
| officer OF the Disfric, of Columbia. today
| -lumitted Co the Commissioners his re
| '"rt for the fiscal year ended june 80
| qu.
Dr- Woodward states that It is the
| ."enty-second annual report Of the
| tralth Department. II deals first with
! Ee subject or vital statistics and the fol-
! owing statement is made relative 90 tn
| asst census. which affords the basis OF
| ralculatiou.
THE Federal census or 1870 has shown
! q diFappoiHtingly small population for
| this District. The total number OF inhab-
| itaats enumerated was but 21S,71S; OF
| whites, i9-.olG: Of coIored. $500 Recent
| police censuses had justified a belief that
| the population OF the District would not
/ Dee less than $500
| br. Woodward reviews somewhat at
| length the results Of census-taIlius since
| ,H>'. having reference to the police enum-
urations taken, and reaches the c0ncIu-
SION that the number OF population re-
turned for the District for 1870 is wrong.
| or else that former censusas have been.
/ lie shows how the matter fatally affects
/ the death rate. and that It is very essen
t.al that the total Of population in the
District should be correct
Total Mortality for the Year.
The report then takes up the mortality
Of The District for the year. saying:
The total mortality for the year was
6.H@', giving a deaJh rate Of p SO to- each
lCj" Of the population. There were $50
deaths Of white persons and 2.G57 Of col
ored persons. the death rate being I7S2
for white and 50-3 FOR c0Iored people"
2 he report continues.
These figures show slight increase IN
al death rates since last year, for the
entire population U-S Der IpD. for the
whites, 04I. for the COlOred. 05l. An ef-
Tort VIII be- made in the following pages
10 determine as far as as may be Uracti-
cable the causes for this increase but
I as u IS the result Of many factors no posi-
I tive statement can br promised
The usual excess OF the death rate for
hhtlts over lhat Tor females appears sn
! both the white and cOIorsd elements Of
IA. population, and the excess Of the col
/ o''d Irath rate over that for whites ap-
pears lH both sexes.
The excess OF the coIored death rate
over that for whites is even more marked
IN the earlier years Of Ife than I'm tFe en-
tire population. ErIess the returns Of the
Federal census OF ltJ are incorrect. which
as suggested befDr.- seems probable. gU-
HlHNlmately lgt Of ever thousand cBls--I
children recently .-yrH Hl this District.
uf-d before CCmD.t ling tn .ir urst year OF
lie The CORE -r,,tfiug figure for the
whites. lNa out OF every thousand while
startling enough, is not rearly so appaIl-
Z ing as is that for the -olOred.
Fgsslng 20 the other extreme Of life
We ind 5l3 deceleuts between the sew
,lty-lrSt and the fiEhtieth year Of
life. inclusive. Of whom If We're white
I F. a
first and the Uiueteth year incIu-
sIEa. -3i dicd-whit.. I>E- c0I0reG a. Be
/ " cen the ninety FIRST IuI the IpuJh year
., tir4-WElte. "a cHIured. 3d. The pre-
! uumI.aucc of cOlorgi Gtredeat= IN th. last
decade Eas probably due To- the greater
'iaccErdeE OF iEelr age records and 90 The
records. - eNa-gertte, rather than to any
| actual difference in the longevity OF the
I t'T0 races"
Average Daily Deaths.
The report presents tabular statement
0f the average daily mortality by months
showing au average number Of deaths per
! '-.m ranging from I-.5 in May to 81 in
july. Dr. Woodward then says.
Tie increase Ia mortality during the
month rl July represents merely the
usual summer increase in diarrheaI dis
'.i-.s- lu -.1E. isHH the total number Of
deaths recorded from diarrhaaI diseases
was 4- During the following month It
..a- r1 hN- and lu July. Jhe FIRST month 0f
. .a- fiscal year covered by this report il
vas l'.- I1e i,cIine in Jha prevalence OF
-l--e diseases Is more gradual. The re-
Z LlT-- Ter August showed Cd deaths. Sep
ID. 4 corresponding increase has appear
ID toward tLr -ut Of the year Iu May.
2. --. record showed but I death from
LLtIFAt-l Diseases In June there were "a.
tii- increased mortality during January
February. and March was due % the I'M
creased pr-yalDlCs Of diseases Of the
ID H.H HHHH q. ID
'I.It were % fatal cases Cf pneumonia.
y january. So Iu February. 6N ana in
March, ,s The deaths from grip during
..g.u-u.r numbered e. In January. u, In
flulEary. "a. ana in March. 81
IE" total number of deaths resulting
from fh" s2-caIsi general diseases docs
u.t vary materially from the num-
a.s recorded iu the same class during the
preceding year. There have been. how
ever, considerable variations in some OF
ihe diseases ot which this class is made
-Th, decrease in Che number OF deaths
rom l-Yafn' RIA and scarlet fever viii BE-
gHu>il. l.rtt IN connection with the general
r-"J' q UI mo tntTrceT-s NJ gf che act 60
prevent tho spread Ur JLuEe diseases The
causes 0t malignant tu.JTs are go OBJ
-rAF" mat th- apparent decrease i1 their
HrrNHleEC" cannot u' explained EusU any
RATIONAL basis The decreased prevalence
at measles probably represents merely
falling OF il the Trtvalt nee Cf that DIS
cas- aIv c" the iCEGErlzaIirn of the COM
i1an-tE HE th- preceding outbreak. The
Increased mortality from tuberculosis Of
me lungs was probably Hs. % the uU-
usual pr.vaisucr of grip. "a disease
which has aU apparent Er.Iiectlau f"E
.n- respiratory system. Tl. U. IS no SAT-
.-iacfary explanation for the decreased
prevalence cf tgDI0iI fever. however SAT-
-Ei1gtH.E the decrease fts,.f nay De-.
Alcoholism and Diabetes.
The apparently Increased prevalenc.
OF acute articaI4r rheumatism. alcohol