Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30
Past the Fifth Year.


children does not account altogether fer
the difference between the average ages at
death of the two races, for a corresponding
difference is noticeable when we determine
the average ages of such decedents alore
as have passed the fifth year Of life The
balance remains in favor of the white race
until the ninetieth year has been reached.
Then 1t shifts in favor Of the colored
Twenty-Five white decedents and 20 colored
decedents were reported ninety years of
age and over, and l white decedent and u
colored were reported as one hundred ard
more years Of age. The most plausible OK
PLANTATION of this anomalous condition is
that the age records of the older colorei
people are unreliable to certain extent
because OF the circumstances surrounding
their birth and education
THE death rates among children under
one and under five years of age are particu-
larly important. Deaths among children
are apt to be due to local causes, such as
bad food, improper housing, defective cloth
ing and ignorance and poverty on the part
of parents They are not so likely to be in
fluenced by factors such as occupation va
riations in the age composition of the com
munity, accumulation of invalids from 9th
err places in local institutions etc which
play more or less important part in modi-
Tying the death rate of adults, and which
yet have no relation to the general SAINT
tary condition of the locality.
Decrease Noted.
Notwithstanding the increased popuIa
ton, the number of deaths which occurred
in this District during the year among chill
dren under one year of age was less than
the number of corresponding deaths which
occurred during any one of the past ten
years. This decrease was due to a decrease
in the number of deaths during this period
OF life In both the white and the eolored
population. A corresponding Improvement
appears in the entire population under five
years of age. Season plays an important
part in modifying the infantile death rate
as Is shown by an accompanying state
ment.
The lowest death rate among children I'M
der five years sof age was in December
when it was 0H1, and the highest in July,
one year of agethe lowest was in Noyem-
Der, 200. and the highest again in July.
Health Officers Comment.
Commenting en these figures, DR.. Wood
ward says: S
1.-THE increasein the average daily mum.
Der of deaths dairins5 warm weather is due
almost altogether 70 the increase in the
number of deaths Of children less than one
year old The dhily mortality among per-
sons five years of age and over has been
greater during the past year in the winter
and early spring than during the heated
season. The only exception to this state
ment has reference to the average daily
mortality during the month of July in the
adult population, which was however, due
to unusual conditions prevailing during the
early part of that month, which resulted in
an excessive number of deaths from sun
stroke
Causes of Death.
During the twelve months ended June so
last there were 206 deaths from typhoid
fever, an Increase of thirteen over the pre-
vious year There Were sixty deaths from
Bright's disease. an increase of nine forty
nine from cancer of stomach, increase of
seventeen; 2f9 from chronic nephritis, an
Increase of nineteen. There were ten deaths
from street railway accidents, an increase
OF seven; there were twenty-nine deaths
We're seventy-seven deaths from gastritis,