Evening star., 1950-11-12
Heart Disease,
Cancer Lead
Death List Here
District Department
Releases '49 Report
On Public Health

Vii U QOlIS hHC0ttu
Heart disease and cancer con.
tinue to be the first and second.
place killers of District residents
especially in the older age group
the District Health Department
announced in it's report for 1915
issued yesterday.
Heart disease rose to a rate oil
305.9 deaths per 100000 persons
in 1949 as against 287.4 in 1913
The average for the past five years
was 279.6 per 100000 persons.
Cancer increased from 1901 pei
100000 persons in 1948 to 1908
in 1949.
45.9 Per Cent of Deaths.
These two accounted for 4,057
deaths last year or 45.9 per cent
of all causes of death.
The Health Department is MAX
ing progress in its fight against
cancer and in cooperation with
the United States Public Health
Service, is in the planning stages
of a fight against heart disease.
Events during the year included
the starting of a cancer registry,
movement of the cancer detection
clinic from Gallinger Hospital to
the Georgetown Health Center and
establishment of an evening can
Ger clinic in the Southwest Health
Center.
A new all-time record for low
maternal death rates was achieved
last year, the report says. The
death rate was 5 in 1000 births
compared with Z in 1000 in 1948.
The infant death rate for 1949 was
the second lowest on record.
1882 Births.
The number of births recorded
in 1949 was 1882, as against 49,
622 in 1947 which was a banner
year in the District.
The death rate in the District
increased to 10.1 per 1000 popula-
ton last year as against 9.9 per
1000 population in 1948. There
were 1882 deaths in the District
in 1949 as against 8,546 in 1948.
There was a continued decline
in the number of deaths from tu-
berculosis. The death rate was
sos per 100000 population as
against 54.5 in 1948.
Deaths from pneumonia con-
tinued to decline with a low record
of 28.6 per 100000 population
against a five-year previous rec
ord of 40 per 100000.
Sodium Fluoride Used.
During last year the Bureau of
Dental Services initiated a pro-
gram of application of sodium
fuoride on the teeth of children
attending school Or about to enter
school. This was the first CITY,
wide program in this country and
was so successful it will be con-
tinued. A plan now is being
worked out by the Health Depart
ment to use sodium fuoride in
drinking water to cut down tooth
decay in children. It also will
have a beneficial effect on the
teeth of older persons, but not as
much as on children, it was said.
During the anti-rabies cam
paign last summer 22,200 dogs
were vaccinated and the depart
ment reports there was only one
case of rabies in the District since
1947 and it was an imported case.
The new central hospital ad-
mitting Office began operation
March 1, 1949. and the revenue
from Gallinger Hospital patients
from March to October 81 last
year was $84,264 compared with
$50, 1856 for the same period in the
preceding two years.
Contracts Added.
The Health Department entered
into contracts with five additional
hospitals last year to treat pa
tients of the department. They
were Episcopal, Garfield, George
town, George Washington and
Providence. The contracts with
Emergency, Children's and Casu-
atty were continued.
The ambulances were stated
with internes last year for the
first time with the result that 80
per cent of the emergency calls
were treated on the scene and not
taken to hospitals.
The Bureau of Venereal Dis
eases continued it's campaign to
stamp out venereal diseases in
Washington and obtained assist
ance of civic, business and pro-
fessional groups in its fight.
The Bureau of Public Health
Engineering, after a survey of the
hazards of using X-ray machines
in fitting shoes in Washington
stores, succeeded in having them
banned. The bureau also con-
Quoted a successful campaign to
put the public and private SWIM
ming pools in a healthier condi-
tion.