Arizona weekly citizen., 1889-06-08
The Eleventh ensus.

The following letters are self explan- atory. We hope they will be carefully perused, and the suggestions made therein acted carefully and concien- tiously upon.
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, CENSUS OFFICE. WASHINGTON, D. O., May 1, 1889
 To THE EDITOR: The publication in your valuable paper of the accompany ing letter to the medical profession will aid the Census Office in one of it's most difficult investigations If you should think the matter of sufficient importance to notice editorally it will be appreciated, as it is necessary to obtain the co-opera- tion of medical men in all parts of the country to insure a successful result. This is all volunteer work on the part of the physician, and any assistance you may feel inclined to give will materially help most important branch of statisti- cal inquiry.
 It is equally important to the country that the returns in relation to farm pro ducts and live stock should be full and correct. The enumerator in the house to house visit he will make during the month of June, 1890, is constantly met with the fact that farmers keep no books and hence returns are not ;nfrequently guess work. The census year begins June 1st next and ends May 31st, 1890. If farmers througout the country would note this fact and keep account of the products of their farms during the cen sus year 1t would be of material aid in securing reliable returns for the Eleventh census.
 ROBERT l.. PORTER
 Superintendent of Census
 To THE MEDICAL PROFESSION: The various medical associations and the medical profession will be glad to learn that pr. John $. Billing, Surgeon U. S. army, has consented to take charge of the Report on the Morality and Vital Statistics of the United States as re- turned by the Eleventh Census.
 As the United states has no system of registration of vital statistics, such as is relied upon by other civilized nations for the purpose of ascertaining the ac- tual movement of population, our cen- sus affords the only opportunity of ob- talnlng near an approximate estimate of the birth and death rates of much the larger part of the country, which is en- tirely unprovided with any satisfactory system of State and municipal registra- tion.
 In view of this, the Census Office, dur ing the month of May this year, will is sue to the medical profession through out the country "Physician's Registers" for the purpose of obtaining more accu- rate returns of deaths than it is possible for the enumerators to make. It is ear nestly hoped that physicians in every part of the country will cooperate with the Census Office in this important work. The record should be kept from June l, 1889, to May 31, 1890. Nearly 26,OO0 of these registration books were filled up and returned to the office in 1880, and nearly all of them used for sta tistical purposes. It is hoped that double this number will be obtained for the Eleventh Census.
 Physicians not receiving Registers can obtain them by sending their names and addresses to the Census Office, and, with the Register, an official envelope which requires no stamp will be provided for their return to Washington.
 If all medical and surgical practitioners throughout the country will lend their aid, the morality and vital statistics of the Eleventh Census will be more com prehensive and complete than they have ever been. Every physician should take personal pride in having this report as full and accurate as it is possible to made it.
 It is hereby promised that all infor- nation obtained through this source shall be held strictly confidential
 ROBERT l.. PORTER,
 Superintendent of Census.