Evening star., 1909-05-27
DEATHS FROM PNEUMONIA
FIFTEEN CASES IN THE DIS
TRICT RESULTED FATALLY.
Changeable Temperature Of Wash
ington Held Responsible for the
Increase in Fatalities.

Washington's changeable temperature is
| responsible for Is deaths from pneumonia
| during the week ended May %, accord
ing to the weekly mortality report Of the
health department issued today.
Pointing out that the number Of deaths
in the District during the week In ques-
| tion was an increase over the previous
| week, the report says:
This increase is most apparent In the
numoer Of deaths due to pneumonia. there
having been IS deaths from this disease
during the past week. as compared with
but 8 during the week previous and 8
deaths during the 1903 period. OF the
Is deaths resulting from pneumonia dur
ing this report period the duration of
the Illness In cases was less than one
week, and in additional cases the dura-
tion was reported as unknown. possibly
Of but short duration. These deaths
from such brief duration of illness, es-
pecially an illness affecting the respira-
tory system. might be reasonably at
tributed to the changeable condition OF
the temperature during the past ten
days"
The report notes fewer cases OF con-
tagious diseases during the week In Ques-
ton, as compared with the week previ-
Gus, there being decrease In the num-
Der OF cases Of whooping cough, typhoid
1OtcF, mcdSIcS, CulChcupO4 anu luUCiSu-
losis and only slight increase in diph-
liberia cases. One case OF smallpox, the
report says, Is under treatment.
Record Of Contagious Cases.
Discussing in detail the record Of con-
tagious disease cases during the week
ended May % and the week previous. the
report says:
"Diphtheria cases increased from 20 to
q n xA1 md
discharged. Scarlet fever fell from 81
cases to 20. resulting from IL cases dis
charged, against IA new reports. Whoop-
ing cough shows a decrease of since the
earlier report, caused by 21 discharges
| against 15 new reports. AS stated ~ the
fever situation can be very favorably
compared with conditions existing during
the same period of 1903. During the
| week now under observation there were
but 3 cases reported, against IA dis
charged, as compared with new cases
during the 1903 period. and at the close OF
this past week there appear upon the
record IS cases. while the record for the
| 1908 period gives 90 cases under treat
ment. There were IA new cases of chick
enpox reported, which is more than re-
ported during the preceding week, but
| these were offset by 16 discharges ire
coveries). thus reducing the total number
fof cases from IS to a. One new case Of
| epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis was
| reported. and one death. leaving cases
| of record. The new reports Of tubercu-
| losis this past week numbered but IL, as
compared with 80 the earlier period. and
the discharges numbered 21, leaving tit
cases Of record.
There were during the past week
| 726 cases discharged on the record
| of cases of measles and 81 new cases
entered This large number Of discharges
| is due to the fact that the health depart
ment has been writing to physicians who
| had reported cases of this disease some
| time since and for which no report of
| recovery had been submitted. retaining
| thereby a larger number of cases on rec
ord than actually existed. These letters
| of inquiry are still being sent by the de-
partment. and 1t Is hoped that the record
can be brought to figure which Will
approximately represent the true condi-
| tions which exist. At the close Of this re-
port period there remain of record 2,256
cases.
The births Of 152 children were reported
to the health department during the week.
There were ITO deaths.