New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-30
an IMPORTANT PART or THE CENSUS.
A PLAN DEVISED BY GENERAL WALKER FOR sECUR-
ISG THE AID OF 10000 PHYSICIANS IN OBTAIN
ING VITAL STATISTICS.
ICY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrpr

ING VITAL STATISTICS.
ICY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.I
WASHINGTON, June 29.-General Walker. Super
intendent of the Census, has adopted plan which.
in the very important item of vital statistics prom
ises to yield results of far greater value than any
heretofore attained.
When an enUmerator inquiries whether any
deaths have occurred in family during the year
preceding the enumeration he often finds it diff
cult and even impossible to obtain precise nfOrma-
ton in regard to the time the Of DEATH the
age of the deceased or other circumstances which
ought to be reported There is perhaps uncertainty
rs to whether death occurred within the year, a
little before 1t; OF perhaps the Of the disease
from which death resulted is unknown. or the de-
ceased was among strangers, who knew little of
him. and are unable to answer to his age or occu
patron.
To obyiate such troubles, and obtain results with
which the returns may be compared, and by which
their accuracy may to a certain extent by tested,
General Walker is taking measures to obtain re-
turns from all the practicing physicians and sur
geons in the United States, numbering 10000 OF
10000 as to the deaths occurring in their practice
during the year which will end on the 31st OF May,
1880 To each practitioner is sent book contain
ing twenty blank forms and page of explanation.
If more than twcnty-four deaths occur within the
year in any physicians practice, or more addi-
tional books can be had on application to the Cen
sus 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, the symptoms where
causes cannot with certainty be given, and the fact
that postmortem examination or was not held.
BY the adoption of this plan information will be
obtained from class of men of high average intel
gence and the part Icuars of death can be recorded
either at the time Of occurrence orcomparativey soon
thereafter. The form books described are already
in course of distribution, and physicians who re-
ceve them being thus apprised of the points on
which information is desired will be able to make
such inquiries will elicit any information essen
tiaI to the com bitterness of their returns.
In sending out these form books the bureau
makes use of Buffers list OF physicians and sur
peons This work is the best Of its kind but Is far
from being complete and in order TO remedy its
defects the list for each county, made up from its
pages, is sent to two physians in each county one
of whom resides at the county seat, with request
for its correction and completion. The aid of State
associations of the different schools Of medicine is
also invoked. In some these bodies have fur
nished much fuller lists for their own States than
those found in the work above referred TO.
The American Medical Association, IN session at
Atlanta on the 9Th of May, adopted preamble and
resolution declaring IL to be OF the highest lmpor-
tancc TO medical science and to public hygiene that
tIe reGuest of the Superintendent Of the Census for
the aid of the physicians OF the United states IN
making the statistics of 1850 complete possible
lac complied with universally, and recommending
that each physician not only furnish the infOrma-
ton requested, but keep such record of his cases
as will enable him to make this INFORMATION acc'l-
rate and trustworthy. Dr. L. s. Verdi. of this city,
feels lively interest in this subject and is sanguine
of obtaining for the Census Bureau the earnest CO.
operation Of the whole homeopathic body