Evening star., 1938-11-21
Washington Fourth
In Tuberculosis
Deaths nCities
Rute in 1887 Was IS
Per 100,0 900, Compared
To 1868 in 1886

Ranked third highest in the coun-
try for its tuberculosis death rate IN
1895, Washington dropped to fourth
place last year, according to the
annual barometer for 46 of the lArg-
est cities announced today by the
New York tuberculosis and Health
Association.
Washington's tuberculosis death
rate in 1887 was 95 per 100000 pop
ulation, compared with 1861 In the
preceding year. The decrease of II
per cent, encouraging to Health De-
partment oficials, reflects the re-
suits of persistent campaigning. In
cluded In the ratio are Washington
residents who died in other cities.
The fact that Washington still
ranks among the cities with the
highest tuberculosis death rates Is
based on the indisputable fact that
high rate of deaths among its large
colored population boosts the figures
for the city as whole. A break
down of the statistics affords an
other picture.
Favorable to Other Cities.
If the white population alone were
considered, Washington would rank
oath from the top with death rate
of only so per 100000. The tuber-
culosis death rate among its colored
population, however, is 282 per l00,-
600. Even that excessive figure is
favorable compared with the colored
rates in other cities, ranking 18th
from the top.
In Northern cities such as New
York, Chicago and Detroit the col
ored tuberculosis rate Is higher than
in Washington. The proportion OF
the colored to white population In
these cities is so much lower than
in Washington that the colored rate
has less bearing on the total death
rate. In Washington the proportion
of whites to colored is about to /.
Baltimore's white death rate from
tuberculosis is SO and its colored rate
is 282, both figures higher than
Washington's.
The barometer as reported by the
Associated Press from New York was
the first national report on tuber-
culosis in cities during 1887.
1t shows that compared with 1896
the deaths rose in II cities and fell
in 35. The rises in death rates
ranged from or per cent in San
Antonio to 38 in Worcester. Mass.
No decrease was quite as large as
the maximum rise But the average
for all 46 cities was S per cent
drop in mortality.
This census lists deaths Of all resi-
dents of a city, whether at home or
1000 miles away. 1t does not credit
any city with the tuberculosis deaths
Of it's transients.
In New York City, for example. 72
visitors died of this disease, against
4l92 residents in the city and COG
other New Workers in other parts of
the United States.
For the As cities, 1921 deaths
were in other sections. The reports
were obtained through cooperation
of health commissioners of each
community and the results COM
piled by Godias J. Drolet, statis-
tician of the New York association.
The population of the 46 cities
in round numbers was $4,000 900.
one-fourth of the United States
total. These cities had a rate of
63.7 deaths per 100000 population
compared with the 533 figure for
the country as whole.
V.~~> C:t;>, unxLnIS
THE large cities" said Mr.. Dro-
let, ARE still hotbeds of tuberculosis.
For instance. among the residents
of upstate New York. outside the
greater city, the tuberculosis death
rate in 1887 was only 1875, whereas
in the same year in the borough of
Manhattan, New York City, it was
116, or nearly three times as great"
Fifteen cities had death rates low
er than the national average. They
were: Seattle, So; Jersey City. 81;
Kansas City, Kan, At; Rochester, N.
Y; Portland. Greg, and Oakland,
a; Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.
40: Omaha and Elizabeth, N. j.. SO;
Minneapolis, 81 Syracuse. SO; Pat
erson, N. j., and Akron, "a, and st.
Paul, 80.
But in the 10 largest cities the rates
were higher than the Nations aver
age. These were: Boston, 56: Pitts
burgh and Los Angeles, ST; Detroit,
81; Chicago, g.: New York. IS; Cleve-
land and Philadelphia, 66; st. Louis,