The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
IMPROVEMENT IN
HEALTH OF CITY.
Report Of Department Now Being
Published Gives Many En-
couraging Figures.
WORK DURING PAST YEAR
Contrast Between Death Rate Of
Two Races i'll Rich
mond.
WORK DURING PAST YEAR

The annual report Of the city Health
Department Just coming from inc
hands of the printers, shows gen
sral Improvement, believed by the DILL
cials to be steady and normal. Inc
records are more complete '!,an any
that have been gathered before Ill
Richmond.
In reference to the new work m
augurated during the past year by the
Board OF Health, the report says
"Regardlng the new policies to be
entered into after very mature con-
sideration in which were taken into
account all the things which, not now
done might be done. and should be
done, for the protection of the public
health, ! recommended to the Board
of Health that three measures be
adopted as advance work during 1907
These recommendations met with the
unanimous approval of the board. They
are: First. beginning the campaign
against tuberculosis; second, sanitary
inspection and meteorological examina
ton OF the milk supply; and, third
educational work"
In regard to tuberculosis, the report
says:
I'm no direction is the contrast be-
tween the death rate of the two races
in Richmond more strongly brought
out than In tuberculosis. In 1906 there
were 235 deaths from pulmonary tu
berculosis (consumptiom, IA of the,
decedents being non-residents. OF
these 2s5 decedents, 1o2 were white
and 1873 colored. The colored popula
ton, which constitutes IS per cent of
the total population. furnishes 81 per
cent. of all the deaths from consump-
I. rI,A-
more strongly by the following:
"Dcnths From Pulmonary Tubcrcu-
losis During 1905.
Actual number of deaths, non-resi-
dents excluded--Whitc, %; colored,
l2S.
Non-residents .ncluded-White, 1o.;
colored, 1873.
Death rate per 1000. residents
excluded-White, LIZ; colore- 3.S7.
Non-residents ncluded-White, 1.SS;
colored. 4.O2.
Total actual number of deaths, nom
residents excluded eel; non-resdents,
included, 235.
Total death rate per 1000, nom
residents excluded, 1858; non-resi-
dents included, 2.69
From the above. it appears that
the death rate from consumption Gn-
GLIDING non-residents) among the
colored people was 2.14 times as high
as among the whites. II is believed
that even these figures do not quite
present the true state of the case. A
large. number of the colored deced-
ents are insured in companies which
refuse to pay If the decedent dies
within two years from any pulmonary
disease. This appears to be respon-
sble for some cases of tuberculosis
at least being returned as due tc
other causes"
Excluding nonresidents, the city's
death rate from all causes for the year
is 209S, the number of deaths being
1880. At the time the report was
drawn up the population was cstl-
mated at 100000, the new city census
not having been completed. The total
number of deaths for the year, includ-
ing nonrcsdents, was zoos. of which
e9l were white and 1,o17 colored. The
death rate among the whites, was 1890
and colored 1914 per 1000 OF popula-
ton
Concerning the new system OF de-
tcrmining the number of births, the re-
port says:
'ITrom the year 1872 through 1886 ar
annual house to- house canvass was
made by the snitary officers to deter
mine the number Of births during the
preceding year. In 1887 this was dis
continued, and from that time unit
1900 no birth records OF any kind were
attempted. iIhe reason for discontin
uing the canvass Vas given by Dr.. I
e. Stratton, then president of the
Board of Health, in the annual repor
OF 1887.
.Not until October G, 500, was this
suggestion favorably acted on by tn
City Council and since 1900 physicians
midwives. or other attendants are re
uuired by law to report within thre
days, all births at which they ar
present. This law, however, has beef
poorly complied with, and the return
have been ridiculously low"