The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-11-30
LOW. DEATH RATE
RECORD BROKEN
Annual Report Made to COmwis-
sioners by Health Officer, Dr..
W. c. Woodward.
oPEN.AIR SCHOOLS
PRAISED BY PHYSICIAN
Fish Wharf Comes in for cOndemna-
ton as InSanitary
Place.


er average OF general health. In Wash
ington, and a wide Improvement in sanl-
tation and the handling of food products
on sale In the District. to record, the an
nuai report OF DIR. William c. Wood
ward, District Health oficer. which was
submitted to the Commissioners yester-
day, is throughout optimistic.
Results OF the studies OF the health de-
partrnent of the open air sections OF
the public schools show that the pupils
In these sections have gained both In
weight and stature, at a much higher
proportionate rate than their compan-
ions located In the regular schoolrooms.
DIR. Woodward Is so well satisfied with
the results obtained in these open air
sections, that he recommends that they
be established throughout the entire DIS
trict.
BasIng the averages given In the re-
port on a population of 354,OlS, OF Whlch
255, ,s4i are white and 9s.I75 are colored' a
general death rate Of us is recorded for
the year 1911. The death rates for the
two races for the same year are 146l
for the white and 26.I2 for the colored.
Corresponding figures for 1910 were, a
general death rate OF 1S.69 for the white
people, lLg7. and 2S.23 for the colored
| A marked reduction of the death rate Is
thus shown for the time covered by the
last report.
On MIX supply.
DR.. Woodward thoroughly detailed the
work OF his department in Its campaign
for a sanitary milk supply.
THE Health Department has labored
long and patiently to educate producers
and dealers in milk as to the signifi-
canoe of high bacterial counts and of
the presence OF colon bacilli, and has
instructed them as 10 the methods ne
cessary to reduce to a minimum bac-
terial contamination Of all kinds. Its
efforts have, however. seemingly been
in vain. Recently, therefore. the de-
partment has brought prosecutions
against some of the more fragrant Of
tenders In one case a plea OF guilty
was entered and a fine OF so imposed.
In another case a conviction was OBJ
tanned after a trial and a fine Of -
was imposed. In the third case the
defendant was found guilty after due
trial. but he has carried the case 10
the Court Of Appeals, where 1t is still
pending. And. unfortunately, the fact
that this case is pending in the Court
of Appeals has prevented the trial OF
any other cases in the Police Court,
Notwithstanding that the defendant was
convicted I'm that court in the case ap-
Fcaled.''
The report further gives an account of
the departments activities in wedding
out OF the dairy herds supplying the Dis
trict OF animals infected with tubercu-
losis. BY use of the tuberCulin test, S3
cattle on six dairy farms were examined
and 2I7 found tuberculOus, which is
equivalent OF IS per cent of all exam
ined In view Of the fact of the serious
he y,,FIlr . nj ami
mails plays in the spread of this disease.
the work done by the department in this
branch is Of great import to the public
! health.
CONCERNING Fish Wharf.
Referring to the fish wharf at Eleventh
and Water Streets Southwest. the wharf
is characterized as the most insanitsry
establishment in the District Of Columbia
for the preparation for sale"
The report continues: The fish wharf
is owned by the United States govern
nent and under the control OF the gov
ernment of the District OF Columbia, and
some Of the public markets owned and
controlled by the District government are
far from being patterns for the private
manufacturer and vendor OF food to imi-
tate. More liberal appropriations for the
construction and maintenance OF the fish
wharf and the public markets belonging
to the District government are urged"
The report concludes that no legisla-
ton relating to public health in the
District of Columbia was enacted by
Congress during the last year. Regula-
tions were adopted by the Commissioners
at the request of the Health Department
for the prevention OF blindness in newly
born infants, regulations to prevent tu-
berculosis amendments to the regula-
tions to prevent the spread of the vari-
GUS communicable diseases, and to the
ordinance for the better control Of drain
a. a~t