The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12
Low Death RATE
in THE DISTRICT.
Health Departments Report
Shows that G, 259 Persons
Died During Past Year.
SMALLNFANTMORTALITY
Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Diseases
Claim the Most Victims During
Twelve Months.

The lowest death rate that the District
has ever known was announced for the
calendar year 1912 by the Health Depart
ment yesterday. The good showing for
the past year Is ascribed to better SAM
tary conditions, a more widely diffused
knowledge of person hygiene, and sd-
vances made in medicine and surgery.
This Improvement was limited, the
Health Departments review states, en-
tirely to the white race. The death rate
among the colored people shows slight
increase over that Of 1911 Infant NOR
tally showed a decided diminution. and.
the report states, decrease in the
prevalency of disease corresponding to
the decreased death rate, can be rea-
sonably taken for granted.
Extracts OF the departments analysis
of the past years vital statistics are:
Deaths during the year numbered
6.259. and the death rate was, therefore.
l7.13 per 1000. The death rate for the
preceding year was 1900, and the average
annual death rate for the i've years 1906
1910 was 1859. What these figures mean
is best understood when IL Is stated that
had the rate for 1872 been as high as the
rate for 1911. 1o4 more persons would have
died in the year. Had 1t been as high as
the average rate for the flve-year period
referred to above, 337 more deaths would
the whites was 141s per 1000. as COM
pared with 14S7 during the preceding
year; the colored death rate was 26.9. as
compared with 2612.
TubercuIosis Fatal to Many.
The most important causes OF death in
1872 were pulmonary tuberculosis and
pneumonia. Pulmonary tuberculosis killed
20 persons. equivalent to a death rate of
204 per 10000. One of the most conspicu-
Gus features in the death rate from tu-
berculosis is the wide difference between
the death rate for the white and that
for the colored race. OF the white popu-
lation only 1l9 Per 100000 died from this
disease during the year, while among the
colored people As died.
Among infants under one year Of age
500 died in 1872 This means in effect that
out OF every Loo infants born Us died
before they reached the end of the first
year Of life. During the preceding year
957 deaths occurred, or 136 per 1000.
The report cboncludes:
The fact. however, that the figures
set forth above indicate a tendency to-
ward lowering of the death rate must
not be allowed to lull the individual or
the community into a sense of security.
There Is no evidence to show that there
has been any decline in the prevalence
of many of the diseases that seem to
depend wholly upon the personal habits
of the individual, and whose habits with
respect 10 the causation of these diseases
is now beyond the control of the public
authorities. Such diseases, for instance,
are heart disease, hardening Of the ar
teries, Bright's disease. apoplexy, in
iammation of the stomach, and gin
drinkers liver. Recent statistics have
shown a tendency of all of these
diseases toward increased prevalence. II
is safe to say, too, THAT many OF the
deaths that occurred from diseases pre-
ventable by the combined efforts Of the
public and of the Individual might have
been prevented had more care been ex-
ercised. OF this group of diseases may
be named tuberculosis, typhoid fever.
diphtherta- and scarlet fever. The fact
that certain diseases have not declined
and are even on the increase, and the
fact that other diseases have not de-
clined as rapidly as they might have
done. ought to stimulate the community
and the individual toward the improve
ment Of the public health. II so much
has been accomplished with our present
stock Of knowledge concerning the pre-
vention Of disease and with present lin
tied opportunities for the most effectual
work, through lack of legal authority
and of money, and under circumstances
rendering 1t practically impossible to
carry on any educational campaign
whatsoever. how much more would be
accomplished when all OF these require
ments for effective work are satisfac-
torily metz