Evening star., 1915-03-31
HEALTH CONDITIONS
CAUSE NO ALARM
Officials Not Worried Over the
Prevalence of Grip and
Scarlet Fever.
LATTER ON INCREASE,
BUT IN MILD FORM
Encouraged by Decrease Shown in
Typhoid and Other Communi-
cable Diseases.

Far from being alarmed over health
conditions in Washington. to which at
tention has been called on account Of
the prevalence of grip and scarlet
fever. local health officials are encour-
aged by the showing with respect to
typhoid fever and other communicable
diseases and believe that the general
health of the city compares favorably
with that of other municipalities.
The department today denied a pub
lished report that there has been 100
per cent increase in typhoid fever
During the week just closed one case
of this disease was reported, whereas
two cases were reported during the
corresponding week last year. The
showing, therefore. Is 100 per cent re-
duction instead of an increase.
The typhoid fever situation in Wash
ington has been constantly improving g
since 1912-a fact that the health de-
partment attributes in no small degree
to The Stars "swat-the-fly'' campa gns
and the annual cleanup campaigns
which were instituted by The Star in
1912.
Here is the typhoid fever record for
the fourth week in March during the
past five years: 1911, seven cases re-
ported and flfty-fve under treatment;
1912, eight cases reported and forty
seven under treatment; 1913. two cases
reported and 12S under treatment; 1914.
two cases reported and twenty-etght
under treatment: 1915. one case re-
ported and fourteen under treatment.
Only Four Die From Scarlet Fever.
While scarlet fever has shown an
increase for this year as compared with
/ 1oa Nf
this malady as the department had to
contend with in 1910, and the epidemic
exists in such mild form that it has
caused only four deaths since the first
of the year. Since January 1 there
have been but four deaths out of 292
cases
1t is the very mildness Of the cpl
demic which. in the opinion of the
health officers. explains the large num-
Der of cases. Were the malady prese IT
in more serious form there undoubtedly y
would be less exposure to infection, it
is contended.
Last week there were thirty-three
new cases of scarlet fever reported.
with 139 under treatment. For the
corresponding week in 1914 five cases
were reported with fifty-one under
week during four years previous was
as follows: In 1913, ten cases reported
and 100 under treatment; 1912, three
cases reported and thirty-six under
treatment; 1911. nine cases reported
and f1fty-f1ve under treatment; 1910,
thirty-four cases reported and 226
under treatment.
Scarlet fever has not been confined
to Washington. but has been prevalent
in greater or less degree in many
during the week ended March 20 there
were 121 cases, and in New York dur
ing the week of March 6. 302 cases.
Discusses Grip and Pneumonia.
Discussing the situation with respect
to grip and pneumonia DIR. William
C. Woodward, health officer of the
District, today said:
Grip and pneumonia caused last
week forty deaths out of a total Of
1sS. Grip caused eighteen deaths and
pneumonia twenty-five. according to
the records: but. In view of the fire.
quency with which pneumonia is
merely a symptom of grip, it is prob
able that that disease was. in fact, re-
sponsible for even a larger number
of these fatalities. The total number
of deaths from these diseases since
January i, 1915. is 33s. while during
tho corresponding period of last year
only 246 such deaths occurred.
"Of those who died last week from
pneumonia, thirteen were white and
nine colored, which, in view of the
relatively larger white population, in
dicates a greater prevalence of pneu-
monia among the colored than among
the white. Fourteen of those who died
we're males and eight females, and as
the female population is larger than
the male the disease prevailed among
the male population to an even greater
extent than the actual figures suggest.
'Of the eight females who died from
pneumonia, three were over sixty five
Years of age The disease was fairly
we'll distributed throughout the Dis
trict, five cases having been recorded
in the northwest, three in the north
east section, one in the southwest and
four in the southeast.
Excessive Prevalence Among Whites
"Of the eighteen persons who are re-
teen were white and four colored.
showing an excessive prevalence of the
disease in the white population. in di-
rect contrast with the prevalence of
pneumonia, which occurred more fire.
quently among the colored.
"Grouping the deaths from pneu-
monia and from grip together neither
race can be said to have the advantage
-27 deaths in the white population
and 13 in the colored
Eleven females died from grip and
only seven males OF the eleven fe-
males who died from this disease ten
were more than sixty five years of age
Grip seems to have been PREVALENT
more extensively in the northwest sec
tion of the city than elsewhere. thir-
teen out of the eighteen deaths having
occurred in that section, whereas only
two occurred in the northeast two in
the southwest and one in the south
east