its birth, the state follows the newcomer through life, sees that he is vaccinated, removes his tonsils and adenoids, furnishes him with glasses if he has bad vision, compels him to attend school [supplying him with a certificate of birth as evidence of school age], prepares him not only for citizenship but for a trade or profession, prevents the adulteration of his food, inspects his milk, filters his water, stands by grocer and butcher and weighs his bread and meat for him, cleans the street for him, stations a policeman at his door, transports his letters of business and affection, furnishes him with seeds, gives augur of the weather, wind, and temperature, cares for him if he is helpless, feeds him if he is starving, shelters him if he is homeless, nurses him in sickness, says a word over him if he dies friendless, buries him in its potter's field, and closes his account as a vital statistic in the mortality column.2 1 Which are duly noted on the birth certificate—if born in a state having this requirement. 2 Even his death may fail to be registered at the present time in a considerable portion of the country. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS ON VITAL STATISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES. The chief source of information concerning the vital statistics of the United States is the series of Census Reports, decennial and relating to the census years ending May 31 (1850 to 1900) and annual for calendar years (1900 to 1914): DECENNIAL CENSUS REPORTS. SEVENTH CENSUS (1850). Mortality statistics of the Seventh Census. Seventh Census of the United States. Compendium of the Seventh Census; births and deaths, pp. 105-111, p. 400. EIGHTH CENSUS (1860). Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census; mortality, pp. 22-32, 138–167. Vital Statistics of the United States: Ninth Census. TENTH CENSUS (1880). Mortality and Vital Statistics: Tenth Census, Parts I and II. ELEVENTH CENSUS (1890). Vital and Social Statistics: Eleventh Census, Parts I, II, III, and IV. Vital Statistics of Boston and Philadelphia: Six years ending May 31, 1890. Vital Statistics of the District of Columbia and Baltimore: Six years ending May 31, 1890. Vital Statistics of New York and Brooklyn: Six years ending May 31, 1890. TWELFTH CENSUS (1900). Vital Statistics: Twelfth Census, Parts I and II. Supplementary Analysis and Derivative Tables; vital statistics, pp. 493-510. Abstract of the Twelfth Census; mortality, pp. 179–213. PERMANENT CENSUS PUBLICATIONS-Continued. Mortality Statistics: 1908. Bulletin 104 (preliminary report). Mortality Statistics: 1909. Bulletin 108 (preliminary report). Mortality Statistics: 1910. Bulletin 109 (preliminary report). Mortality Statistics: 1911. Bulletin 112 (preliminary report). Mortality Statistics: 1912. Mortality Statistics: 1913. Mortality Statistics: 1914 (in preparation). Marriage and Divorce: 1867-1906, Parts I and II. PAMPHLETS. Circular No. 71. Registration of Deaths: 1902. No. 100. Legislative Requirements for Registration of Vital Statistics: 1903. No. 101. Practical Registration Methods: 1903. No. 102. Relation of Physicians to Mortality Statistics: 1903. No. 103. Medical Education in Vital Statistics: 1903. No. 104. Registration of Births and Deaths: 1903. No. 105. Statistical Treatment of Causes of Death: 1903. No. 106. Extension of the Registration Area for Births and Deaths: 1906. No. 107. Modes of Statement of Cause of Death and Duration of Illness Upon Certificates of Death: 1907. No. 108. Legal Importance of Registration of Births and Deaths: 1908. No. 109. Tuberculosis in the United States: 1908. No. 110. Physicians' Pocket Reference to the International List of Causes of Death: 1910; revised 1913, 1914. No. 111. Explanatory List of Diagrams Relating to Deaths of Infants: 1910. CLASSIFICATION OF CAUSES OF DEATH. Manual of International Classification of Causes of Death: 1902. (First revision, 1900). International Classification of Causes of Sickness and Death: 1910. Manual of the International List of Causes of Death: 1911. (Second revision, 1909.) Index of Joint Causes of Death: 1914. PUBLICATIONS OF OTHER BUREAUS. The Public Health Service, Treasury Department, publishes vital statistics chiefly as reported from cities in its Weekly Public Health Reports. It has also issued a valuable monograph on Vital Statistics: A discussion of what they are and their uses in public health administration, by John W. Trask, Assistant Surgeon General. The Children's Bureau, Department of Labor, began its work with a pamphlet on Birth Registration: An aid in protecting the lives and rights of children, which has been revised, 1914. The bureau publishes investigations relating more particularly to infant and child mortality. The Weather Bureau, Department of Agriculture, began the publication of a monthly compilation, "Climate and Health," in July, 1895, which was designed to set forth the relation between mortality and meteorological conditions. It was discontinued in March, 1896. PUBLICATIONS OF OTHER BUREAUS-Continued. The National Board of Health during its brief existence (1879-1885) made an effort to improve the registration of vital statistics in the United States which would doubtless have resulted in great benefit if continued: National Board of Health, Supplement No. 5 to the bulletins, 1880-81, contains proceedings of the Conference of the National Board of Health, with recommendations for uniform tables, etc. Annual Report: 1880. Report of committee on the nomenclature of diseases and on vital statistics, Appendix 0, pp. 537-544. Annual Report: 1881-82. The Registration of Vital Statistics, Appendix E, pp. Annual Report: 1885. Report on mortality in certain cities and towns in the United STATE REPORTS. State reports on vital statistics are usually contained in the reports of the state boards of health (except when otherwise noted below). Prior to the establishment of the Census Bureau upon a permanent basis and the beginning of the annual reports on mortality statistics (1900), these are the only sources of information for intercensal years and for calendar years, also for statistics of births, stillbirths, and marriages in detail. The state reports are of very uneven value, some being almost worthless, while others are carefully compiled and present data for a long series of years. The most important are those of Massachusetts (1842-1914) in the East and Michigan (1867-1914) in the West. The reports are annual and for calendar years, except as indicated (e. g., Michigan, 1867-68, is an annual report for a year ending in 1868 (April 5), but not a calendar year): Alabama: 1883; 1884; 1887-1895; 1914. Colorado: 1892-1900; biennial, 1901-2 to 1911-12. Connecticut: (State librarian), 1854-1877; 1878-1913. District of Columbia: 1871-72 to 1912-13. Idaho: Biennial, 1911–12. Illinois: 1906; 1913. Indiana: 1882-83 to 1912. Iowa: Biennial, 1898-99 to 1911-12. Kansas: 1887 to 1900; biennial, 1901-2 to 1912-13. Kentucky: Registration reports (auditor), 1852-1859; 1878-79 to 1882-83; biennial, 1910-11. Louisiana: Biennial, 1898-99 to 1912-13. Maine: 1892 to 1913. Maryland: 1899 to 1912. Massachusetts: Department of State, 1841-42 to 1913. Michigan: Department of State, 1867-68 to 1912. Minnesota: Biennial, 1886–87 to 1896–97; 1909–10, 1911–12. Missouri: 1911 to 1914. Montana: Biennial, 1901-2 to 1913-14. New Hampshire: 1880 to 1893; biennial, 1894-95 to 1910-11. New York: 1884 to 1913. North Carolina: Biennial, 1885-86 to 1911-12. 1 STATE REPORTS-Continued. Ohio: Department of State, 1909 to 1913. Oklahoma: Biennial, 1909-10 to 1911-12. Oregon: 1908 to 1913. Pennsylvania: Department of Health, 1885 to 1911. Rhode Island: Department of State, 1852-53 to 1876; 1877 to 1912, South Dakota: Department of History, 1906 to 1913. Tennessee: Biennial, 1880-1884 to 1909–10. Texas: Biennial, 1910-1912. Utah: Biennial, 1907-8 to 1911-12. Vermont: 1857 to 1896; biennial, 1896-97 to 1912-13. West Virginia: Biennial, 1904-5 to 1912–13. Wisconsin: Biennial, 1903-4 to 1911-12. CITY REPORTS. The city reports are legion. The data on vital statistics are usually included in the report of the city health officer or department. Only a few of the most important can be mentioned: New York: City inspector, 1818-1827; 1829; 1831-1837; 1835-1844; 1847-1865; metro- Philadelphia: Health officer, 1860 to 1887; department of health, 1873 to 1912. New Orleans: 1846; 1849; 1850; 1856; 1860; 1866 to 1889; biennial, 1898-99 to 1912–13. Richmond: 1871 to 1912. Charleston: Report of interments, 1828 to 1846; city registrar, 1846-1849; 1867 to 1869; 1874 to 1878; 1889 to 1909. ། |