Evening star., 1916-01-03
Jumps Nearly 2 Per Cent on
Increase in Mortality for the
Year Just Ended.
PNEUMONIA CONSPICUOUS
FOR GREATEST ADVANCE
Heart Disease Causes Most Deaths.
Washington and New York
Only Fail to Show Decrease.

With 6,4s4 death reported, an increase
of 62S. over 1914, the Districts mortali-
ty rate last year jumped from 1859 to
1915, the rate being the highest since
1910. The increased mortality, accord
from nearly all the more important
causes of death.
An investigation made by Health
Officer Woodward reveals the fact that
New York and Washington are the
only cities of large number of munic-
ipalities that failed to show decreases
in their death rates between January
and December 10 last year.
why increases should appear only
in deaths in New York city and Wash
city should be SO large as compared
even with the increase in New York
city remains to be determined" states
DR.. woodward.
Years Mortality Statistics.
Local mortality statistics for the year
as given in a report issued by the
health department today, are the fol-
lowing:
Among whites deaths increased from
3,493 to 3,913, with corresponding rise
in the death rate from 1864 to 1911.
Among colored the number of deaths
increased from 1913 to 1881. and the
rate from 24.31 to 26.12. The white
death rate is the highest since 1907, and
the 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 in
creased from IT'S to III; between one
and four years. from 225 to 242; be-
nd min
295 to 325; between twenty and sixty
nine years, 3,424 to 3,72O. and at sew
enty years and over, from 1,207 to 1880.
Computed upon the number of report
ed births, the death rate in the first
year of life rose from 100 per thousand
births to 110.
Deaths from the diseases of middle
and advanced life, sometimes called the
degenerative diseases, showed an in
crease that was by far the most con-
spicuous feature of the year. Deaths
from diseases of the heart increased
from 757 to S55. Deaths from chronic
inflammation of the kidneys increased
from 5sS to $40. From acute inf1amma-
tion of the kidneys there were seventy
four deaths. as compared with fifty-one
for the preceding year. an increase
probably bearing some relation to the
increase in the number of deaths re-
ported from chronic kidney diseases.
Apoplexy showed an increase from 41s
to 45S. Deaths from arterfo sclerosis
increased from 143 to $50.
Greatest Increase in Pneumonia.
Among acute diseases pneumonia
showed the most conspicuous increase,
from 46s to 66s. This was offset to an
almost neglible extent, by a decrease
in the number of deaths due to bron-
chitis, from 96 to Sc, and in the number
of deaths from pulmonary congestion
from IL to 6. tuberculosis of the lungs
showed an increase from Sill to 697,
which was probably related to the
increased mortality from pneumonia.
Cancers caused 391 deaths as against
344 during the preceding year. Death
from diarrheal diseases among children
less than two years old rose from 142
to 1877. Increases in deaths from com :
municable diseases were general. but
play a very important part in the gen.
eral mortality OF the community.
Deaths caused by whooping cough rose
from 18 to 10: by measles. from l to 8;
by epidemic cerebro-spinai meningitis,
from S to 6, and by scarlet fever, from
1 to g.
from 81 to 90, and in
deaths due to typhoid fever from 45
to AZ
The increase in the number of deaths
was not limited to disease processes.
but extended also to deaths from vio-
lence. Deaths from accidents increased
from ol5 to 220: from homicids,- from
90 to So, and from suicides, from 81
to 81"