The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-05
City Health Report for
1913 Carries Encour-
aging Statistics.
FAILS TO BETTER
TYPHOID RECORD
Disease, Due in Part, According
to DR.. Levy, to Impure Wa
ter, Claims 27 Victims as
Against 22 in 1e12-Tu-
berculosis Rate Lowest
Ever Recorded.


in Richmond, the lowest recorded
death rate from tuberculosis. and not
single death from malarial fever dur
ing tho entire year-these three facts
are brought prominently in the fore
ground In an abstract OF the Health
Departments 1913 report. prepared
yesterday by Chief Health Officer Levy.
The records just noted, as well as
encouraging figures as regards most
OF the other diseases which annually
take their toll of the living, stamp
1913 n more than ordinarily successful
year from the standpoint OF the city
Health Department. Measles and
whcoping cough both reached cpl
demic proportions during the year just
past. and two periods of typhoid in
fection lowered previous high records
In these diseases. but the disabilities
from these sources were more than
compensated by marked progress in
the suppression Of others
Traces Typhoid TO Water.
For the first time since 1908, DR..
Levy reports, the city failed to lower
it's death rate from typhoid. Against
this disease the Health Department
has labored harder than against any
OF the others. Despite this fact the
disease claimed twenty-seven victims
in 1918. as against twenty-five in 1912.
The death rate was 20.t per 100000 In
hnbitants. as against 16.s for 1912, and
17.s for 1911.
with the exception OF these two
years. however" DR.. Levy reports. "the
rate was the lowest on record. For
the twenty years prior to the re-
organization of the Health Department
in 1906, the death rate fiom typhoid
fever averaged IFS per 100000: for
per 100000 There were during the
year two small outbreaks of this dis
ease, due to the water supply. The
first was in South Richmond, following
the pumping OF untiltcred water to
the people on April II. This was re-
sponsible for seventeen cases.
The second water-borne outbreak
was on this side of the river In May
and June, following imperfcctly puri-
fed water coming into the city during
"a very prolonged period of washing the
basins in May. AS these cases came at
"a time of the year when we regularly
begin to have our summer typhoid. IT
Is impossible to say just how many
OF these cases came from the water
but IL was probably about fifteen to
twenty. Following this, chlorine
plant was installed, and Is still in oper-
character. and Will probably be re-
placed by a better one for regular use
In the near future.
No Deaths From Malaria.
For the first year on record there
was not 81 single death In Richmond
attributed to malarial fever
Scarlet fever claimed five victims
in 1918, equivalent to "A rate of 3.S per
100000. against one death Cor IS per
100. .OO0) in 1912. Not since 1886 has
there been as many as five deaths from
scarlet fever in Richmond in any
year. The death rate from this disease
In Richmond has been so phenomenally
fn, l,e act
a to be puzzling to every one who has
seen the figures.
"Diphthcria claimed the same num-
Der of victims as in 1912. but the in
crease in population makes the rate
slightly lower-6.0 per 100000 in 1913;
1875 Ca period OF th!rty-nine years.
has the death e from this disease
been as low as In The year just closed
35 in 1905 and 90 in 1899.
Lowest Death Rate.
THE death rate for Richmond dur
ing 1913 was the lowest on record
The total number OF deaths was 2.71S
By n remarkable coincidence, this is
exactly the same number of deaths rs
occurred In 1911 and three more thar
in 1912. But the population of Rich
mond is steadily .377 each
year. according to the official e5ti'
mate Of the United States bureau OF
the census. In consequence OF this in
crease in population-while the num-
ber of deaths has remained the same
the death rate for 1913 was 20.5S pei
1000 inhabitants. against 2O.1S In 1ol3
and 21.02 In 1911.
There was, moreover. an increase
in the number of nonresidents who
died in the city. These deaths are
included in the above . figures. even
though the decedent was not a resi-.
dent of Richmond. and died one second
after reaching the city. There were
297 deaths among nonresidents in the
year just closed. against 267 in 1911
and 900 in 1912. The death rate with
nonresidents excluded was 1898 ir
1913. against 1896 In 1911. and 1S.5t
in 1912.
"While every person who is ac-
quainted with tho first rudiments OF
vital statistics knows that the crude
death rate Gas II is called) of any city
is almost meaningless. and should
never be taken as the basis for com
pairing the relative healthfulness OF
different communities. this crude rate
has value In Judging Of conditions III
any given community year by year, as
suming always that no essential
has occurred 1t is, therefore, crafty.
ing to see that our death rate is stead
lily declining,
Decrease IL Per Cent.
"The rates given above go back onl,
three years. The declining death rate
is even more marked if we go back
further. In 1907. the first year after
reorganization OF tho Richmond Healti
Department, the death rate was 1885
per 1000. Inhabitants. with deaths
among nonresidents included, and e2.O:
with nonrcsidonts excluded. In Other
words. the crude death rate Of Rich.
mond has declined $50 per 1000 since