Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-01
VITAL STATISTICS
Annual Report Of District
Health Officer.
SANITARY CONDITIONS
COMPARISONS OF WHITE AND
CoLoRED DEATH RATES.
Deaths From Pneumonia in Excess OF
Average-ProposedR Regulation
Governing Hospitals.

Average-Proposed Regulation
Governing Hospitals.
DR.. W. c. Woodward, health officer for
the District. today submitted to the Com
missioners his annual report of the sanitary
condition of the District during the year
ending June 30 1903. In the report 1t is
stated that the estimated population OF the
District at the close of the last fiscal year
was 2Sg596, of which number 2O0,4O were
white persons and 50, 10 were colored. The
death rate for white persons during the
year was 1892 per cent. while the death
rate Of colored persons was 29.13. Only once
before during the past ten years. IL Is
stated, has the death rate for the white
race gone below II per cent. This was IN
1897, when 1t was 1888. The average an
nual death rate of white people during the
decade was 1923 The average annual
rate of death for the colored race for the
past ten years is. 29.73
During the year there were forty deaths
by suicide, thirty seven Of the decedents De-
ing white persons and three colored. Ine
average number of suicides in the District
for the past ten years is 37.3. Twenty-one
deaths were caused by steam railroad ac-
cidents the average for the decade pelns
1911
The Relative Rates.
Continuing, the report states:
1.-The average age at death of the various
elements of the population indicates the
same relative vigor as do the relative death
rates. The average age at death OF Inc
colored males who died during the year
was % 66 years, Of the colored females 21.oz
years; of white male decedents 39S4 years
and of white female decedepts 1851 years
Taking all decedents together, the average
age at death was "a "a years. AS af1ectlns
largely the relation between the average
ages at death of the two races 1t is or IN
terest to note that of the white decedentS
$40 or 1e % per cent, were in the first year
of life, while of the colored decedents 10,
or 81 81 per cent were of corresponding
age The figures for the year show, how
ever the usual excess in the colored popu-
lation of decedents of extreme age. Twen-
ty white decedentS were reported as ninety
years old and over, while twenty-five col
ored decedents fell within the same class.
Considering that the colored population as
a whole is but 44.45 per cent of the white
population, the disproporuon Is manifest.
1.-The records show more curious results
so far as relates to persons 100 years OLD
and over. One white and three colored
were recorded as having passed the CEN
fury mark. one of the latter being said to
have been 112 years old at the time of
death. 1t appears probable that such re-
suits are due rather to the inaccuracy OF
the age records of the older portion of the
colored population than to any such anom-
alous condition as is suggested by the fig
ures themselves.
Deaths Among Children.
1.-The estimated death rate per 1000 white
children under one year Of age was 1884;
colored children 1883: children under five
yaars white 400. cnlOrad
Notwithstanding the present high NOR
tally among children under one year Of
age such mortality. even among the col
ored people, from year to year, shows signs
Of improvement. When the increased pop
ulation Is taken into consideration. at 10
previous time of which this department has
knowledge has the mortality among m
fantS under one year of age been so small
as during the past year. In the infantie
white population the death rate is not
only the best which has been recorded
when compared with the population. but,
Notwithstanding the increased population.
there Is absolutely smaller number of
deaths. Infantile mortality in the colored
last year, but is considerably below the
average of the past ten years.
1.-The month of July. which with single
exception, shows the smallest average daily
mortality among persons five years of age
and over. shows the largest average daily
number of deaths of children under one
year of age. On the other hand, the win
ter months show the largest average daily
number of deaths in that portion of the
community five years old and over, but
show practically the smallest far
relates to deaths Of infants In the first
year of life. Why this should be so, ex-
cept in so far as hot weather Injuries
especially the food of infants. is difficult to
understand The belief that infantile NOR
tality during the summer months is due
to defect in diet is supported by the fact
that so large part of such deaths are due
to digestive disturbances.
Analysis Submitted
AN analysis of mortality with reference
to the character of the diseases responsible
for 1t is as follows: General diseases 1.67S;
diseases of the nervous system. SIC; dis
eases of the circulatory system. $40; DIS
eases of the respiratory system. $50; dis
eases of the digestive system. 716; dis
eases of the genitO-urinary system. as;
puerperal condition, 81; diseases of the skin
and cellular tissue %; diseases of the
gans of locomotion. IL; malnutriton, IA;
infancy. 400; old age. 2OS; violence, PSI.
unclassifed, 10.
"a peculiar and inexplcable decrease in
the number of deaths from aneurism dur
ing the last year is shown. The deaths
from angina pectoriS show no material
fluctuations. ApOpleXy as cause of death
represents the average mortality from this
disease. and an increase is noted in the
number of deaths due to rheuma tism. The
marked increase in the number of deaths
from arteriO-sclerosis, which was the sub
ject of comment in the preceding report,
has continued. The number of deaths from
Bright's disease recorded during the year,
1927, was considerably in excess of the aver
age for the past ten years-2GD.4. Deaths
from pneumonia during the year were in
excess of the average for the past ten years.
Pulmonary tuberculosis.
Deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis
were so much less frequent during the past
year than heretofore that it seems proper,
lest the laity be deceived. to state at the
very outset that there is no reason to be-
lieve that the recent efforts for the limita-
ton of the spread of this disease have had
anything to do with bringing about this re-
suit These efforts have been of too recent
origin to account for such Improvement.
On the other hand. the fact that coincident
with a decrease in the number of deaths
from pulmonary tuberculosis between the
years 1901 and 1902 from S12 to $50. there
occurs an apparent increase in the number
of deaths from pneumonia. bronchitis and