The Washington times., 1916-01-03
ri THRATE.
HE HIGHEST.
|F0R : YEARS.
Health Department Report
Shows 6,494 Deaths, Larg-
est Number Since 1910.

Figures made public br tn" Hnalth
Department today show that the death
-atc in the District for the year 1910
was tho highest since 1910.
Deaths from all causes numbered ',A9i
as compared with 1896 during the pre-
ceCing year. an increase OF "2S or ".7
per cent. The death rate per l,"D M
creased from 1859 to 1915
Recent correspondence with fourteen
other cities showed n decrease in the
death rate between January l and Ne
cember 10 in all except Now York.
why increases should appear only IN
deaths In New York city and Washing
ton, and why the increase In this city
should be so large as compared even
with the increase in New York city. re-
mains" the department states. ITO be
determined"
Departments Statement.
Following is the departments state
ment:
Among whites. deaths increased from
3.i93 to 3913. with corresponding rise
in the death rate from 1884 to l5.ll.
Among colored. the number OF deaths
increased from 1913 to 2,5s1. and the
| rate from 2i.3l TO 26.l2. The white death
rate Is the nlSnest since l"Vi, anu tic
colored the highest since 1912.
The increase in the number OF deaths
was not limited to any one age period.
Deaths in the first year of life increased
| from 7l5 to III: between one and four
years, from 225 to 242; between five and
nineteen years. from 295 to 325; between
twenty and slNty-nine years, 3,424 to
3,I2O: and at seventy years and over.
! from l.207 to l,i30. Computed upon the
number of reported births. the death
a ia frs Of Ii fn f,,, ~
| 100 per thouSand births to 10
Conspicuous Increase.
Deaths from the diseases of middle
and advanced life. sometimes called the
degenerative disease, showed an in
| crease that was by far the most conspiCu-
Gus feature of the year. Deaths from dis
eases of the heart increased from ~
| to S55. Deaths from chronic intlam-
nation of the kidneys increased from
5SS to go. From acute inflammation OF
! the kidneys there were 4 deaths as
| compared with 81 for the preceding
| year. an increase probably bearing
| some relation to the increase in .hc
number Of deaths reported from Chronic
| kidney diseases. ApopleXy showed an
increase from 4l9 to tjS Deaths from
arterio sclerosis increased from l43 to
| 100.
Among acute diseases pneumonia
| showed the most conspicuous increase
| from 46S to 66S This was offset to an
! almost negligible extent, by decrease
| in the number Of deaths due to Dr,nl.
| Chitis, from 90 to So, and i'll the number
OF deaths from pulmonary congestion
| from l2 to 6. Tuberculosis Of the lungs
| showed an increase from oil to bJI
which was probably related to the in
| creased mortality from pneumonia.
Cancers caused 39l deaths as against
| a during the preceding year. Death
| from iarrhoeal dsca ses among children
| less than two years old rose from II:
| to l61 Increases in deaths from com
| municable diseases were general. but
| deaths from these diseases do not now
| play very important part in the gen
! eral mortality of the community.
WhOoping Cough Kills 19.
| Deaths caused by whooping cough
rose from IS to 10; by measles from
! TO ); by epidemic cerebro-spinal menin
gifts. from TO G. and by scarlet fever
| from to s. Decreases occurred il
deaths due to diptheria. from 81 to %
and in deaths due TO typhoid fever
! from 10 to AZ.
The increase in the number OF deaths
was not limited to disease processes
but extended also TO deaths from VIC
lence. Deaths from accidents incrca sec
from 2l5 to 20: from homicides. from
- to aS: and from suicides. from d
TO 81. Recent correspondence with othe
cities showed variations in the numbe
of deaths reported between January
and December 10, or theTeabout, as fol
lows:
Baltimore showed a decrease in tn
! total mortality from IL, 55l to 3,36b, an,
In infant mortality from 1854 to ISL.
! I'm Chicago, deaths from all cause
| fell from S3.952 to 3l.91S. and deaths IL
| the first year OF life fell from $3.50 L
5,Sn.
In Cincinnati. a decrease from 5,sO
to 5,I99. for general mortality, and iron
697 to 5G9 for infant mortality.
In Cleveland, general deCroaS
from 8,266 to S.O27, and a decrease anon
infants from l,g46 to LIZ.
In Detroit. there was decrease fror
S,3S5 to I.19i in total mortality. and fror
s,23l to 2,04 in infant mortality.
In Indianapolis, there was a decreas
In the total mortality from 4.362 to j.7H
and a decrease in deaths during tn
hrst year of life from GSl to 81.
Decrease In Milwaukee.
I'm Milwaukee, "a general dcCreas
from 1920 to 1922 and a decrease anon
infants from l.ll9 to 995.
I'm Minneapolis. deaths from o
causes decreased from 4.1l5 TO 1851, an
deaths in Tie first wear of life fell froI
COS 10 5J6.
In Newark, a general decrease fror
$500 to 5.693. and a decrease among ir
fants from I'LL to $50.
In New York city there was an II
crease from 1868 to Il .35S in deaths frol
all causes. and an increase from 1854 I
1905 in deaths during the first year
life.
In Philadelphia the general decreas