The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-23
VITAL STATISTICS LAW
1T WILL EMBARRAss THE sECRE-
TARY OF CITY BOARD OF HEALTH.
Dr.. Clark VIII Probably Refuse An
other Term if He Has tn En-
force 1t.

The law passed by the last General As
sembly to enable the State Board of Health
to gather vital statistics TO better advan-
tage than heretofore and TO make the scope
Of its work greater is becoming a source of
embarrassment to city and county health
officers, and will probably have an i'm
portant bearing on the selection of a secre-
tary for the new Board of Health TO be
appointed by Mayor Taggart. Under the law
physicians and undertakers are required TO
fill out certain blanks furnished by the
State Board. with information concerning
the antecedents of deceased persons. to-
Sether with data, which often requires more
time than the average physician or under
taker has at hfs disposal. Although IL has
been admitted that the blanks serve a good
purpose, it has been found that many
physicians refuse 10 take the time to as
certain the m required by the law,
and that health officers issue burial permits
without first compelling the physicians TO
properly fill out the forms furnished them.
In addition to this. the law requires all
physicians in whatever locality TO make full
returns on births at least once every fifteen
days, and this, too, has been disregarded
by physicians to a great extent. The State
Board, which secured the passage of the
law. holds the city and county health Off
GERS accountable for the collection of the
statistics, and TO protect itself had inserted
in the law the provision that, in case ply
sicians or undertakers refuse or neglect to
make proper returns on births and deaths,
that the health officers shall begin prosecu-
ton against them to compel them TO do ii.
This last feature of the law is the one which
makes the post of secretary OF the Indian
apolis Board of Health a hard one, and
which may make it hard to find any ply
sician to accept the place. Within the last
few months. since the new forms have been
in use, it has been noticed that several
physicians have reported births as late as
three months after they occurred. During
the last week two physicians, one of them
closely connected with the State Board OF
Health, reported a humble of births which
occurred In July, while many physicians
quired and defy the state and city boards 10
compel them TO do so.
Under the law the State Board is not
compelled to take any steps against these
physicians, but instead, looks to the city
and county health officers to do what is
necessary. Inasmuch as the law Is manda-
tory in compelling the local health officers
to prosecute any physician who fails 10
make proper reports, whether the health
officer wishes ii or not, the position OF the
local health officer is an embarrassing one.
In the case of DIR. G. h.. Clark, of the In
dianapolis Health Board. it is believed he
will refuse to serve another term III COM
PEELED to prosecute his professional friends,
with whom he Is on the best of terms. 1T is
understood that a number of competent
physicians who were discussed as possible
successors of his took the same stand when
asked about their attitude toward the en-
forcement of the vital statistic law" The
contention of most of the rebellious ply
sicians Is that they have not the time to
scurry around looking up statistics, and that
if the state wants the statistics 1t should
appropriate money for the collection OF them
and not try 10 compel private citizens TO
give their time gratis TO the work.