Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-09
THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
Statement by DR.. Woodward Regarding
Conditions in the District.

DR.. w. c. Woodward health officer for
the District. in a statement relative to the
public health during the week ending De-
cember g. states that the number Of births
reported during the past week was 124. OF
the children born Il were white and % col
ored; 90 male and IS female. OF the re-
turns received 93 came from physicians and
81 from midwives. Twenty births were re-
ported from Columbia Hospital from
Freedmen's Hospital, from the Homeo-
path!c Hospital, and 1 from Providence
Hospital There was a noticeable absence
OF returns from the suburbs, but births
having been reported from that portion of
the District.
The prevalent degree of neglect with ref
erence to making returns OF births as re-
by the fact that out of co in
fants born in the District of Column
bia whose deaths were recently recorded.
birth had been reported In but "a instances
in % instances births had not been re-
ported; that is, in Sc per cent of all of
these cases there was no record Of birth.
There is no reason to believe that the alb
sence Of returns is any greater in this
group of cases than it is among all chill
dren born In fact, If anything, the per-
centage Of omissions is smaller because 1t
is noticeable that the cases in which re-
turns had been made in the foregoing group
were represented largely by deaths of in
fants within the first few hours or the first
few days OF life, in which cases the neees-
sity for issuing the death certificate has APP
parently been sufficient to remind the
sponsibile party to make the necessary
birth return.
The number of deaths in the District dur
Ing the week ended December s. 1868, was
liz, one more than occurred in the previous
week did and IA more than during the
corresponding period of last year. OF the
above number, 68 were white and Al col
ored. These figures represent death rates
per 1000 Inhabitants of 17.3 for the whites,
20.3 for the colored and 1877 for the entire
population; 1873 for white, 22.4 for colored
and 1915 for entire population were the
death rates for the previous week, and 1873,
243 and III. respectively, were the rates
for the corresponding period of 1902 The
prevailing causes Of death were pneumonia,
Is: diseases of heart, 10; consumption, II;
malignant growths, 8; diseases Of the kid
neys, 8, and apoplexy. 8. There were ac-
cidental deaths4 from burns and scalds
and from railroad accident.
The cases of typhoid fever continue to
diminish. there being 16 reported and 30
discharged, leaving on hand at the close OF
the week ia. as against $50 at the CORE
spending period Of last year.
OF diphtheria, 3 new cases were reported
and were discharged, which increased the
number under treatment to 10 in all. con-
fined to seventeen premises. Scarlet fever
also was increased by 3 cases. there hav-
Ing been Z new cases reported and dis
charged making total of 81 under observ-
alton in twenty-six premises.
The conditions regard smallpox remain
at last report, there being but cases in
the hospital.
The weather conditions prevalent during
the week were as follows: Temperature,
mean, 81 degrees, relative humidity, II, and
mean actual barometer, 29.S. Winds were
northwesterly, averaging five miles per
hour. The maximum temperature was 4S
degrees, on the 5th, and the minimum is
degrees, on the LIST.