Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-17
HEALTH CONDITIONS
Annual Statement Made by
DR.. Woodward.
COM PARISON M ABE
DEATH RATE COMPUTED ON EsTI-
MATED POPULATION.
Suicide Statistics Furnished-Work Of
Sanitary Inspectors Commented
Upon-Communicab Diseases.

1t is regarded as a remarkable coincidence
| that the number of births and number of
deaths In the District during the fiscal year
| ended June so were almost equal. There
were 6,2ls births and 6221 deaths, and both
| exceeded any previous record covered In the
| files OF the health office.
| These are among the most interesting
facts shown in the annual report of the
health department, which was submitted to
| the Commissioners this morning.
| The death rate, computed on the basis of
| an estimated population in the District of
| 31T 900, was 1861. The greatest number OF
| deaths recorded in any one previous year
| was 6,CJ9 In 1900 In 1901 there were $3.50.
| During the ten years between July /, 1895,
| and June 80, 1895, a grand total of 5S,S40
| fatalities occurred with a corresponding
| death rate of 20.12.
| The increased mortality during 1904 was
due not only to an increase in the number
| of deaths among the white and coored peo-
| pie, but Furthermore TO an increase in the
deaths occurring both among males and
| among females in each race. The largest
| increase occurred among white females and
the smallest among white males. Among
/ the Colored race the increase was greater
| among males than among females. Among
| persons born in the District of Columbia
| there was an actual falling off in the num-
| Der OF deaths. Among residents or the l1lS-
| tr1ct born elsewhere, whether white or col
| 1red, whether male or female, and whether
| natives of the United States of foreign
| countries there was uniformly an increase
| in the number of deaths. The additions to
| the District population from foreign coun-
| tries was stated as probably an important
| factor in the increase in the number of
! deaths.
| The department characteriZes as peculiar
the increased number of deaths among
| white women, but no explanation could be
| offered. Particularly was this so among
| the Washington women who were born in
| other parts of the United States, such IA
talities being out of all proportion to those
| among the men.
Average Of Ages.
| The average age of white decedents rose
| from 40 years months and % days in 1903
to AZ years s months and % days in 1904.
| Among colored people the age of decedents
| rose from 20 years months and 81 days to
| 80 years l month and ~ days. This In
crease, however, is attributed to an influx
| OF adults from other Jurisdictions rather
| than to greater longevity in citizens of the
| District.
| The number of decedents 20 years of age
| and over Increased from ST. to 924, a net
| gain of AZ during the year 1904 The largest
| increase in mortality during any one decade
| occurred between the ffty-first and the six
tieth year of life, inclusive. where the num-
Der of deCedents rose from $50 to 726.
The average daily mortality among chill
dren under one year of age during the
tire year was 800. The deaths, classified
as to age, were given as follows: Under /
year. lips: year, 210; years. 90; 3 years,
&C; years. ~; to years, 1915; 10 to 10
years Sss 30 to 2s years s s9 90 to SO
years. 726; 60 to 60 years. SIS; 10 to 70 years,
| ISL; so to 50 years, $50; 80 years and
! over, 50.
Comparative Statement.
In further setting out the mortality fig
ures the department summarizes the rela-
| tive prevalence of various diseases briefly
| as follows:
THE department notes with regret In
crease in the number of deaths from diar-
rhea and enteritis among children under
two years Of age. from 2S2 to 323 This in
crease is especially conspicuous since
deaths from the same causes among per-
sons over two years Of age diminished
| from o. to 66.
There was noteworthy increase in the
mortality from diphtheria since 1903. In
the year named % deaths were reported, 10
among white persons and among colored;
| in 1904 90 deaths occurred, q among whites
and % among Colored.
The number of deaths from diseases Of
| the heart reported during the year 1904
was 562; the number reported during 1903
| was 5l3 Among the white population these
| deaths increased during the periods named
| from 29I TO 332, and among the colored
| from 2i6 to 230.
Fourteen deaths were reported due to
malarial fevers, as against % in 1903
The number of deaths reported due to
measles fell from A to /, the deaths among
| whites decreasing from 81 to 2 and among
| colored from ID to 2. This represents mere
| ly one of the usual fluctuations in the
course of this disease.
THE number Of deaths from paralysis
| In its various forms increased from AZ to
G2. Tho average number of deaths from
this cause during the past ten years has
been 500 per annum and the number re-
! ported last year represents the largest
number of deaths reported from paralysis
| since 1895.
Deaths From Pneumonia.
Under tbs head are included deaths re-
| ported TO the health department as due to
| catarrhal, lobar and croupous pneumonia
The number of deaths reported as due to
| this disease during 1904 was 556 represent
| ing but slight falling off in the prevalence
of this disease since 1903. when the num-
| Der of deaths reported from it was $50
| The average number of deaths from this
| cause recorded per annum during the past
| ten years is All.
Deaths reported due to pulmonary
| tuberculosis increased from 778 to S32 The
| coincidence in the marked rise in the
mortality from this disease, with the
| marked decrease In the reported NOR
| tally from pneumonia, corresponds with
observations made by physicians who
| have Investigated the subject generally.
| What the relation between the Increased
mortality from one and the decreased NOR
| tally from the other may be affords a
| proper subject for investigation. The rela-
| lively heavy incidence of the two diseases
| on the colored race is also suggestive of
! some more or less intimate relations between
| them From colored population number
| ing about half as many as the white popu-
| lation, 466 deaths from tuberculosis were
| reported during 1904, compared with
| 3o8. In the colored population the NOR
| tally from this disease increased from 421
to 466 and in the white population from
| 355 TO $3.50.
| Deaths from scarlet fever during 1904
| numbered H. as compared with during
| the preceding year. Ten of the persons
| whose deaths were recorded IN 1904 were
| white and l colored
| "Thirty-one deaths were reported during
1904 the result of steam railroad acct
dents. Among the whites the number of
deaths from this cause increased from 10 to
26 and among the colored from to s. The
| number of deaths due to street railroad ac-
| cidentS fell from to T.
Gases of Suicide.
Suicides resulted In CO deaths represent
ing the highest number. both actually and
relatively of which the health department