The San Francisco call., 1896-03-01
The: Very Poor Showing Made
Against the Recorded
Death Rate.
LAWS GOVERNING THE MATTER
Physicians Will Fight the Measure to
the Bitter End in the
Courts.

Within a short time, possibly within
week. number of prominent physicians
of this City VINO have been under surveli-
lance for some time past, will be arrested
on. warrants sworn out by the Health De-
partment. charging them with violation
of section 1924 of the Political Code and
of-erder 2341 of the Board of Supervisors.
These laws refer to the registration OF
births by physicians and midwives, mat
ter that has been a thorn in the side OF the
present Board of Health ever since the
members began TO realize that the show
ing of their reports-that more people die
in San Francisco every month than are
bern-is giving San Francisco an undesir-
able reputation as being good place to
stav away from. The laws regulating the
registration of births are as follows:
SECTION 1924, POLITICAL CODE OF CALIFORNIA.
SECTION 1924. Physicians and midwives must
on or befor the fourth day OF each month
make areturn TO the Health Officer OF all
births. deaths and the number OF stubborn
children occurring in their practice during the
preceding month. In the absence OF such IT.
tendants the parent must make such report
within thirty days alter the birth OF such child
Such returns must be made in accordance with
rules adopted and upon blanks furnished by
the Board OF Health.
LII L.
Physicians and midwives must on or before the
fourth day of each month make return to the
Health Officer of all births occurring in their
practice during the preceding month. In the
absence OF such attendants the parent must
make such report within thirty days after the
birth of the child. Such returns must be made
in accordance with the rules adopted and upon
blanks furnished by the Board OF Health.
Sec. .. Any person violating any OF the pro-
visions OF this order shall be deemed guilty OF
n misdemesnor, and be punished by fine not
nr M son a M nv
ceeding ninety days, or by both such fine and
imprisonment
OF course, as matter of fact the birth
rate of San Francisco IS greater than the
death rate and would appear so if the
physicians of the City lived up to the
laws quoted. but they do not, and out of
all the large cities in the Union San Fran
cisco appears to be the only one where the
death rate is the greater.
The Board OF Health has been making
desperate efforts to induce physicians to
live upto the law. Notices have been sent
them to conform to the regulations and
special inducements have even been Of
fered 10 bring the registrations in, but
without effect
Now the board has determined on dras-
tic measures, and evidence is already on
hand sufficient to convict half a dozen of
the medicoS who have neglected their
duties. Some days ago Deputy Health
Officer Jones, under the orders of Health
officer Lovelace, began quiet hunt for
evidence, and thus far has had no diff
Guilty IN finding it.
Out of the daily papers he cuts the
birth notices inserted by proud and fond
fathers, and calls on the family IN which
the newcomer has arrived. Usually no
difficulty is encountered in ascertaining
the name of the physician in attendance,
and a record is made of the fact.
Unless the physicians who have the
black marks against their names live up
TO the law and report within the time re-
quired by the statute the names of all in
fants at whose births they have officiated
warrants will be issued against them, and
they will be compelled to stand trial in
the Police courts. The Health Depart
nent positively declines to make public
the names OF the physicians who will be
arrested until the warrants are issued.
An interesting little legal fight between
the Board of Health and the mem bers of
the medical profession who are arrested
is likely to occur, as the physicians have
determined to resist the order. They claim
that the board has no right to compel
them to register births as they receive no
compensation for so doing. They claim
that it is the duty of the parents of the
child to go through the necessary form.
The board, on the other hand, is as fully
determined that the law must be obeyed,
and Will have its attorney, Dennis Spencer,
on hand to see that the case is given every
attention.
The death and birth rates, made up in
the Health Office yesterday, make it ap-
pear as usual that the former exceeded the
latter. Tabulated they are as follows:
Female. Male. Total.
Deatns' llo 3V3 4S3
Births. 2ls 400
Excess of deaths over births ths "a
1t is this state of affairs that the Health