Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-07-17
CHIILICOTHE
A NEW IDEA.
A Plan Devised by Gen. Walker for Secur-
Ing the Aid of $4,000 Physicians la OBJ
tanning vital Statistics.

A Plan Devised by Gen. Walker for Secur-
ing the Aid of 5000 Physicians la Oh.
tanning vital Statistics.
From the New York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, June 29.-Gen. Walker,
Superintendent of the Census, has adop,
ted plan which, in the important item Of
vital statistics, promises to yield results OF
far greater value than any here obtained.
When an enumerator inquiries whether
any deaths have occurred in family dur
ing the year preceding enumeration. he
often finds it difficult and even impossible
to obtain precise information in regard to
the time of the cause of death, the age OF
the diseased, or other circumstances which
ought to be reported. There is perhaps
uncertainty as TO whether death occurred
within the year, or a little before 1t; or
perhaps the name of the disease from
which death resulted is unknown, or the
deceased was among strangers who knew
little of him, and are unable to answer as
to his age or occupation.
To obviatc such troubles, and obtain re-
suits with which the returns may be com.
pared, and by which their accuracy may
to a certain extent be tested, Gen. Walk.
er is taking measures to obtain returns
from all the practicing physicians and sur
geOns in the United States, numbering co.
900 or 10000, as to the deaths occurring
in their practice during the year which
will end on the 3lst of May, 1880. To
each practitioner is sent book contain
ing twenty blank forms. and u page of ex-
planaton. If more than twenty-iOur
deaths occur within the year in any ply
siclans practice one more additional
books can be had on application to the
Census Bureau. The blanks call for the
place and date of death, the name. sex,
race or color, age with date of birth and
occupation of the deceased, the cause or
causes of death, or the symptoms where
causes cannot with certainty be given and
the fact that 4 postmortem examination
was or was not held.
By the adoption of this plan, iniorma-
ton will be obtained from class of men
Of high average intelligence, and the
particulars of death can berccorded either
ut the time of occurrence or comparative
Iy soon thereafter. The form books dcs-
cribed are already in course of distribution,
and physicians who receive them being
thus appraised of the points on which in
formation is desired, will be able to make
such inquiries as will elicit any informa-
ton essential to the completeness of their
returns.
In sending out these form books, the bu-
rcau makes use of Buffers list of physi |
clans and surgeons. This work is the |
best of its kind, but is far from beingcom-
plete and in order to remedy its defects, |
the list of each county, made up from its
pages, is sent to two physicians in each
county, one of whom resides at the county |
seat with a request for correction and
The aid of State associations
of the different schools of medicine is also
invoked. In some cases these bodies have
furnished much fuller lists for their own
States than those found IN the work above
ratewcd to.
The American Medical Association in
session at Atlanta on the Sth OF May
adopted preamble and resolution de-
claring it to be of the highest Importance
to medical science and to public hygine
that the request of the Superintendent Of
the Census for the aid of physicians Of the
United States in making the statistics of
1880 rs complete rs possible, be complied
with universally, and recommending that
each physician not only furnish the inior-
nation requested, hut keep such Il record
Of his cases as will enable him to make
This information accurate and trustworthy.
DR.. r, s. Vardi, of this city, feels live
Iy interest in this subject, and is sanguinc
for the Census Bureau the
earnest cooperation Of the whole homco.
Dathic body.