Evening star., 1918-12-02

Reported cases OF diphtherta, ty.
phofd fever and scarlet fever increased
over the preceding year. While meas
les was unusually prevalent. whoopine
Vital Statistics.
Births.-During the calendar yea,
1917, -.7;51s live births were reported
with a birth rate of 1899. White
babies numbered 5.2s1 and coiored ba.
hies numbered .2,22s. the correspond.
ing birth rates being; 1904 and. 21.71
For every 1000 babies born. 81 babie.
died; during the first year Of Mfe-fol
white babies.7l per 1000 and for col.
ored fe0. The number Of white babie:
born exceeded the number of white
persons who died. during the year b,
i,221. while the number of ccIored ba.
btes born. was ,3S9 less than coloret
deaths.
Rabies:-Two rabtd dogs. as deter:
mined by, clinical and postmorten
findings, were found in the District
during the calendar. year 1917. and
United: States public health service
show that fourteen persons bitten by
rabid dogs received antirabic treat.
ment there. As the continued occa
sional discovery OF rSbid animals ir
the District showed the endemic pres.
ence OF the disease, the commissioners
on July 5. 1917. issueed a proclama tior
requiring the muxzling Of all dogs
running at largo during the period
ended July 10. 1913. -,
eontAKtous disease service. - The
work Of the contagious disease serv.
ice during the fiscai year 1918 covered
SIX cases OF anterior polio -mye1itis
(infant1le paralysis). 1913 cases o1
chicken1ox. 1,112 cases Of diphtheria
lz2 cases Of epidemic cerebro- spinal
meningttfs. 1913 cases Of measles. q
cases Of peiiagra, i. .102 cases Of scar
let fever. .3S cases OF smallpox, Ills
cases Of tuberculosis, 32s cases of ty-
phofd fever and !. .144 cases of whoop-
Ing cough. 13.s07 In all, which includes
1.151 cases. reported from various
military and naval cantcnments To-
Gated within the District OF, Columbia
The smallpox hospital cared for 81
patients during the year, while the
station cared for 50 in
mates. In. the isolating wards at
Memorial Hospital 1O,6sS
patient days. service were rendered
during the year. '5.442 were for pa
tients at public expense and 5,246
were for private patients. In the
isolating wards at Providence Hos
pital 4,712 patient days service were
2. 462 Of which were for pa
tients treated. at public expense and
1880 for private patients. The ambu-
lance for patients suffering from
minor contagious diseases carried $50
patients during the year.
premises were disinfected, and 1926
articles exposed to infection on sucl,
premises were in some other way dis
infected At the disinfecting plant.
Public crematorium. = The public
crematorium disposed Of 5os bodies
during the year. The total cost of
maintenance and operation during
the fiscal year 1877 was $1,s07.59.
Fees received for the cremation OF
80 bodies at private expense amount
ed to 1925; the net COST Of operation
was, therefore, $SS3.59; approximate
ly Per cent of all bodies disposed
Of In the District were cremated,
most. Of them in the public crema-
torium.
meteorological laboratory.-speci-
menes sent into the bacteriological
la laboratory for diagnosis during the
FISCAL year 1913 numbered 2O,009.
Sociological laboratory:-The work
Of the Sociological laboratory estab-
lished through the appropriation act
OF. March 3. 19l7. was we'll under way,
and during the year the .serologist
prepared 2S.0o0.0 00o units Of diphtheria
antttoxin: and 10000 typhoid vaccine
Specimens examined OF
various kinds numbered 4Os.
: Dtspensaries.-The~sd department has
esta blishNd At 409' 18th street north
west ,dispensaries for tuberculosis and
for venereal diseases. The necessary
equipment for the tuberculosis clinic
has been purchased and installed, and
a corps OF nurses and physicians are
clinics three days a week
and ono night. The 7venerea1 disease
clinic IL not at this time in operation.
Lack of certain necessary apparatus
has prevented the physician in charge
to open this clinic. It will be opened,
however. in a very short time.
Food tnSpection.-At the close Of the
fiscal year S.6s1 .food-producing and
establishments were regis
tered. including commission houses,
grocery stores, markets, shucksters,
confectionerfes, restaurants
and 1unchroonls and miscellaneous es-
ia ahlishments.- These places were in
spected on an average Of 1853 times
each. At tae close Of the year there
were fifteen small slaughter houses
in occasional operation: engaged es-
inrlocal trade and therefore
not coming under the supervision OF
the DEPARTMENTAL Agriculture. The
more important slaughter houses do
as we'll as local, business
q nd come, therefore. under federal su-
Eleven hundred and thirty-one dairy
farms we're licensed at the, close Of the
year to produce milk In the District
Of Columbia for sale or to produce
milk. in other Jurisdictions for sale in
the District. Dairy cattle on these
farms nun1bereu. 21.374.. The. average
frequency Of inspection Of each farm
during the year. was 3.56- and the aver
age frequency Of inspection Of the
Two hundred and sixty dogs were
reported to the health department as
rabid or suspicious Of being rabid and
We're examined by the Veterinarians
of the health department detailed to
the food inspection service.
Chemical 1abora tofy.-In the chemi-
cal laboratory 1868 samples were an
alyzed during the year. S,479 in con-
nection with the sanitary and food
Inspection service OF the health de-
partment. 20 SAMPLES for the police
counsel and 2 samples for the pur-
cha sing; officer. = =. -.
Sanitary inspection.-Compla plants o,
autsances acted on during the veal
$500, requiring 1850 in
spections and 1888 reinspections In
bered 1910. Oflcial calls for purposes
other than inspection numbered 24,235
The total number Of -offlcial. visits made
by the sanitary inspection force wa.
therefore approximately 56.s77. Viola.
tions of laws and regulations were
discovered in 1926 instances, and an.
proprtate. action taken for their cor.
rection. :
Smoke fnspectlon-Piants under OBJ.
servatton. by the smoke inspection
service numbered 673. and 1921 OBJ.
servat1oEs were made. Violations OF
instances. and cautionary notices sen,
20 the responsible persons and in nine
cases prosecutions instituted
Weed law.-Operaeions under the
weed law, which forbids the main
tenance OF weeds more than four
inches in: height. on land within the