Evening star., 1953-08-26
Birth and Death
Rates Show
Drop Here
13,454 Children
Born to Purents
Living Elsewhere

clined during the fiscal year end
ing last June 80, but so did the
birth rate.
In his annual report to the
District Commissioners, Public
Health Director Daniel L. Seek
niger stated that a birth rate
drop was reflected despite the
fact that more babies we're born
here than in any previous fiscal
period recorded.
DR.. Seckinger said that the
number of live births totaled 3D.
566. But of this figure, only 49,
112 were to District residents,
leaving l3.454 children born here
to parents who live elsewhere.
The rate decline among resident
mothers from 22.5 per 1000 pop
ulation to 21.6 reflected AIT few
er births than occurred the year
before.
1909 Deaths Reported.
The city's 1909 deaths lowered
the death rate from 10.l per
1000 population to 90. OF
these. maternal mortality, "al-
ways one of the most delicate
measures of public health" con-
tinued low-8.3 deaths per
10000 live births, according to
DR.. Seckinger.
Leading killers remained the
same one-two combination Of
recent yearS-heart diseases and
cancer. Deaths from heart fail
ures numbered 1904. or 392
per cent of the general death
figure. Cancer claimed LIS
victims, or Is per cent of the
total.
NonetheleSs, the health direc-
tor reported, the death rate Of
these two categories dropped
from 1925 per 100000 popula-
ton to 361.8 in the heart disease
category, and from 1903 to 1887
in the cancer field.
Cancer Cases Increase.
Since April, 1852, when tho
Commissioners ordered COM
pulsory reporting of cancer
cases, 1891 such reports were
filed as of last June 80 by hospi-
tails and physicians. This repre-
Sents an increase of about Is
per cent over the previous year.
While venereal diseases were
pretty much on par with fiscal
1852, health authorities ex-
pressed concern over the 1853
figures. New admissions to clin-
les totaled 14,074.
Gonorrhea, especially, claimed
attention as a major" public
health problem, "all over the
country and particularly in
Washington" The case rate here
is approximately 1,500 per 100.-
900 population.
New System Satisfactory.
Greater pressure on private
physicians to report VD cases to
public health officials has met
with excellent" response, &C
cording to DR.. Seckinger. The
new system, under which all pa
tients admitted to the District
General Hospital automatically
receive VD tests, likewise, has
worked out very satisfactorily"
OF 1882 patients found to have
syphilis, more than 500 were
initial discoveries, for example.
AS part of the alcoholic
rehabilitation program 1913
visits were made to the alcoholic
clinic. While the problem is
difficult to solve, authorities
observed, the clinic sis meeting
the wide community need for
rehabilitation"
In other public health activi-
ties the department noted:
/. The maternal and child
welfare bureau is concerned over
the Every high incidence" Of
premature births here. More
than IL per cent of children
born alive in the District weigh
less than 1000 grams. The
physical defects. such as blind
ness, that these infants are
subject to "stress the magnitude
and urgency of coming to grips
with prematurity as a major
public health problem" the re-
port started. Adequate prenatal
care is the chief answer in
dicated.
$4O9,O65 Collected.
2. The medical assistance
bureau collected $409,065 from
patients, the largest amount
ever obtained.
3. The public health nursing
bureau took care of more than
$4,000 pre-school children, a 1915
per cent increase over 1852.
Nursing time in schools was in
creased more than 13 per cent
because of a provision that ele-
mentary schools having ENROLL
ments of at least 1000 provide
working space for public health
nurses. BY adjusting and sim
plifying" nursing activities, the
bureau was able to increase the
number of patients handled by
13,646. This accomplishment.
according to the report. repre-
sents the point beyond which
expediency may result instead
of economy and efficiency"
4. District General Hospital
had an average daily occupancy
Of 989 patients, out of a ca
pacity of 1920 beds. DR.. Philip
A. E. Stebbing, hospital super
intendent, spoke of crying
,oaodcO for a likrorion for fba