The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-15
VITAL STATISTICS.
County Medical Society Discusses
Care1essness of Physicians.

There was large attendance Of the Ma
rion County Medical Society last evening
in the Criminal Court room to hear the
paper of DR.. A. L. Wilson, secretary of the
County Board of Health for the last two
years. upon the subject of vital statistics;
that is, the reporting and recording of
births, deaths and marriages and of con-
tagious diseases. He had had many in
quiries from points at home and abroad as
to the births marriages and deaths, and in
many cases had been unable to answer
them because the proper returns had not
been made In some instances cited the
granting of pensions, securing of life insur-
ance and the disposal of legacies had been
interfered with because of this negligence,
and persons had been debarred of their legal
rights.
Merrill Moores, by request of the society,
stated the law upon the subject He said
the right to practice law, to be a minister
or to practice medicine was not right, but
a privilege conferred by the State, and that
the State, in the exercise of it's police pow
ers, could compel physicians to make prop
er returns of births, deaths and conta-
gious diseases without fee or reward In
regard to expert testimony Mr.. Moores
stated that the state could not compel it,
as the knowledge was a private ownership
of the citizen, and he need not part with it
except for a special fee comparable with
its cost and value.
DIR. Charles Z. Ferguson discussed the
vital importance to the citizens of the
prompt reporting of contagious diseases.
He stated that when he was secretary of
the city Health Board there were even
prominent physicians who neglected to re-
port scarlet fever and diphtheria. In one
school there were three cases of diphtheria
in contiguous seats. The disease attaches
to certain rooms in dwellings and schools
until thoroughly cleaned and fumigated by
gases, such as SulphurouS acid and formal
dehyde, which destroy all germ life.
Regarding tuberculosis DR.. Ferguson was
of the view that the cases should be under
the care of the sanitary boards, to the ex-
tent that in all cases the people should be
made aware of the danger of dried sputum
upon walls, floors, bedding and handker-
chiefs. Property owners in New York city
had objected to consumption houses being
put under sanitary control, as it hurt for
a time their rental value, but, none the less,
the work had gone on in New York, and
there is lessened death rate within five
years from 10 to II per cent through the
work of sanitary officers. He said ply
sicians were the strongest allies of health
boards, and without the aid of and SYM
pathy of the local physicians of all grades
and schools the work was seriously i'm
paired. In this city there has been a marked
diminution of diphtheria and typhoid ow-
ing TO the work of the Health Board and
the various city sanitoriums.
DIR. +. b. Wynn late city sanitarian dep
recated the meagerness Of the reports Of
deaths that are made. They are of little
value in determining the causes of the NOR
bidity and mortality. He thought death
return should be of note-paper size and
should not only state the immediate but
the remote cause of death, as is the parlia-
mentary law in England. Thus, If a child
dies of pneumonia subsequent to measles
both facts should be stated. The report
should also state the coincident diseases,
as psoriasis and specific infection. He also
| advocated that the reverse side of the re-
| turn should contain an autopsy blank. and
| that whenever the cause of death was OBJ
| scure the friends and relatives should join
| with the doctor in securing an autopsy
| not by the coroner except in criminal or
sudden or accidental cases-even if such an
autopsy reverses the diagnosis. Such re-
| turns as death from "dropsy," "scrofula, !"
! brain disease or heart disease" are not
| creditable to the public or the profession.
| "Septicaemio' and "taXaemia' belong 20
| the same indefinite list, are alike enemies o.
vital statistics and scientific medicine.
| They are cowardly subterfuges or confess
sions Of duplicity, crime and Ignorance. The
| subject was further discussed by Drs. Bray
| ton. Potter, w. H. Wishard. Merrill Moores
| and the essayist.