Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-31
CIRCULAR LETTER.
The United States Census. Vital
and Mortuary Statistics.

be thoroughly well done in all the coun-
ties of the state. To this want all the
help can get.
want the help Of all the newspapers
in the state. Their influence is very
great, and through them the people can
be more generally and offectually reach.
ed than in any other way. If they will
publish this Circular Letter, and call to
editorially the favorable attention of the
profession and general public, they will
do the state service and win the thanks
of the state health officer. | would be
pleased to receive copy OF each paper
that complies with this request.
want the help of all the county Off
cials in the state. Sheriffs and tax asse3-
sors, and tax collectors, and especially.
the members of the OF the board of coun-
ty commissioners can all render valuable
assistance. This is especially true of the
county commissioners whose influence
for good can be manifested in two ways:
~ by hearty cooperation with the
county boards of health and with the
county health officers; and (2) by en-
encouraging the work amongst the peo-
pie, each commissioner in his own neigh
borhood; and in beats where there are no
doctors they might somtimes make a
personal canvass and get returns Of births
and deaths that might otherwise fail to
be reported. | hope every board Of
county commissioners will take this
matter into serious official consideration,
and confer with the county boards OF
health in relation to it.
want the help of all the midwives in
the State, both white and black. They
can be of very great assistance by report-
ing the births in cases where there is no
doctor in attendance, not only those un
der their own charge but any they may
hear of. In most of the counties of the
State midwives are already engaged in
this work and need make no change in
their plans except to be more prompt
and mole Jealous. In counties where
this work has been heretofore neglected
| especially appeal to the midwlves to
apply TO the nearest doctor for instruc-
tions and blanks.
l want the help OF all the doctors in
the State, and appeal to them more
earnestly and more confidently than to
anybody else. 1t is upon them that l
rely chiefly for the success of the work.
If all of them respond to my appeal in
the right spirit my success is assured.
They never failed me yet. They must
not fail me now. The most OF them, ex>
cept in few counties, are already sys-
tematically engaged in this work.
would have them redouble their efforts.
Let every doctor in the State turn mis-
sionary and preach the gospel OF vital
statistics to all the people. But more es-
pecially let every one of them not only
report his own case OF births and deaths,
bit let him help the midwives to report
their cases; and let them report all the
cases they hear of not likely to be report
ed by some one else. II the same case
is reported twice no harm is done. The
names will prevent any duplication in
working up the returns. In the counties
where the county boards of health are
already actively engaged in collecting The
statistics we will of course have little
trouble, and this covers a large majoritv
of all the counties in the Stat In the
other counties let the health boards &c
to work at once. No county can afford
to appear to disadvantage in the Censu
Report,
Books containing blanks for the rec
ord of deaths and stll-birtts have been
already widely distributed amongst our
doctors by the superintendent of the
census. 1t is intended that every prac-
ticing physician in the State shall have
one of these books. Such physicians as
have failed to receive one will please no.
tify me to that effect and l will see that
they are supplied at once. In the books
is note explaining how they are to be
used The deaths and still-births are to
be entered in them from time to time,
from the beginning to the end of the
census year, and they are then to be for
warded to Washington, where all the
material will be worked up.
In the meantime, the certificates OF
deaths on the blanl-s of the State Board
OF Health will be filed up and forwarded
every month to the county health Off
GERS as heretofore. Only one additional
item is to be added for each death-the
item OF "race"-which will be enter. d
in the line given to Remarks.
Alabama is the only State in the Uni1n
in which there is an efficient system for
the registration OF births. She should
be proud of this distinction We regi: :
ter our thoroughbred horses and Jersey
cattle. Much more should we make