Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-03
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
Deaths and Reported Illness.

Deaths during the calendar year 1915
S 4 .nss q 4 an sSs assh asss
for the previous year. but still consid,
erahiys in excess Of the average annual
HmeaT raa he wife deaths
numbered 3.9b3. and among the colored.
d s e Ssiss dssh Esss ssinT hsars
monias, .BTtght's disease. apoplexy and
tent ssu.ss 81 death during the year;
scsrfstr fever were fewer than IN the
preceding year; diphtheria did not vary
materially. and measules and whooping
reported cases. Of infantile paralysis
were moro numerous {3s as compared
with ~. but many. we're clearly cons
seemed to be no tendency. for the dis
ease to spread in the District. The FAIL
ure of infantile paralysis to assume
not Due. howsver. to any action taken
by the District government. since the
regulations and methods In force here.
sssl ax as wsS
the regulations and methods in force in
other communities. The course of the
matter has received appToSal tSrouan
the action of the conference OF state
and provincial boards Of health in May,
8,
quirements for the management Of OUT
breaks of fnfantile paralysis substan-
TALLY. the regulations in force In the
orous reguiations that had been SO
widely adopted by other communities
during the calendar year 1916
Births.
live births were reported: birth rate.
20.16.. White babies numbered 5,042
and colored babies numbered 2,216, the
corresponding birth rates being 1919
and 22;s5. For every 1000 babies born
los babies died during the first year of
life; for white babies, So per 1000. and
for colored. 159. The number OF white
babies born exceeded the number of
white persons WHO died during the year
by 1859, while the number Of colored
babies born were 325 less than colored
deaths.
Public Crematorium. ~
The public crematorium disposed of
$50 bodies during the year. While it
was erected primarily for the disposal
of bodies Of persons who had died of
communicable diseases and of bodies
of the poor. yet its use by persons able
to pay for service tpermitted under the
law) serves materially to reduce the
cost OF maintenance and operation.
The cost cost during the fiscal
year 1917 was 31,e3o.ss. Fees received
for the cremation of IS bodies at pri-
vate expense amounted to 1915. The
net cost OF operation was therefore
S655.S9. AT the present time from to
6 per cent of all bodies disposed of in
the District are cren'ated; most Of them
In the public crematorium.
coutagious-Disease Service.
The work of the contagious-disease
service during the fiscal year 1917 COW
dnfantile paralysis), $50 cases Of chick
en- pox. SIS cases of diphtheria, 20 cases
of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis
3.533 cases Of measles, IL cases Of pei
lagra, $40 cases Of scarlet fever. 6 cases
OF smallpox, ss4 cases Of Tuberculosis, 2s2
Of whooping cough; s.0s3 In all.
The smallpox hospital cared for s pa.
tients during the year and the GUAR.
antine station for . like number II
the isolating wards at Garfield Memoir
ial Hospital ss1 petsnts. were treated
treated at public expense, and 10 were
treated as private patients. In the fso.
lating wards at Proyidence Hospita,
201 patients were treated, 100 of whom
were treated ut public expense, and s:
were treated ~ privste patients The
amouiance Tor patients suffering from
minor contagious diseases carried AS
patients during the year.
BY the disinfecting service 1,7e1
promises were disinfected, and I.fs(
articles exposed to Infection ON sucf
Premises were In some other way dis.
infected ct the disinfecting plant
Tuberculosis Among Children Of
School Age.
son septspber .. 1916. the Commits.