Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-09
VITAL STATISTICS.
Some Suggestions for the Twelfth
Census as to Accuracy.

some Suggestions for the Twelfth
Census as to Accuracy.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The want of uniformity in the methods of
registering vital statistics in the different
states and cities of this country, or in
some instances, the entire absence of any
system of registration, has heretofore oc-
casioned endless confusion at each decen-
NAL census in the tabulation of returns per-
tanning to this important subject and the
conclusions deducible from the published
data are therefore tainted with uncertainty
to such degree as to render them of no
value for scientific purposes.
1t is not the fault of the census bureau,
however, that the chaos of refractory ma
terial obtained by the labors of enumerat-
ors or transcribed from local records can
not be reduced to an Ineligible order. 1t
Is impossible to make a mahogany table
out of hemlock boards
Primarily the biame for the incomplete
ness and errors in the census compilations
of vital statistics is chargeable to the in
difference of the people. And the popular
apathy is due to the fact that public atten-
tion mas not been called with sufficient fire.
Quency and emphasis to the advantages
that would result from full and trust
worthy presentation and analysis of the
morbific influences which, acting upon per-
sons of diverse race, age, sex. regional en-
vironment and occupation, tend to deter
mine the death rate throughout our wide
domain.
In municipalities where registration laws
exist the physician is required to give GER
ttticate specifying the cause of death in the
case of all decedents who in their last
sickness have come under his professional
care.
He fills out the blank returnable to the
health office or other local authority. GER
tifying. for example, that John Doe died
| of Bright's disease on a certain date. Had
some other M. D. attended this patient the
cause of death might have been given. and
with equal propriety, as nephritis, albumi-
nuria or uraemia.
disease introduced an element of discord
| in the classification of the cause of death
which cannot be entirely eliminated even
| by expert revision at the central Office to
| which the returns are sent. To group all
| such cases together under the ambiguous
name Bright's disease would be improper;
| to separate them into subclasses would be
mere conJectural emendation. The same d.
versity of usage obtains with respect to the
designation of other ailments. The generic
term heart disease, for example, is often
more specifically reported under the head
| of carditis, endocarditis, pericarditiS, an
| gina pectoris. neuralgia of the heart. etc.
How are these variations of nosology to
| find place in tabular statements? They
cannot be made uniform except by ignor-
| ing differential characteristics, and if we
do not distinguish between things that
diner, or II we separate identical things,
what is our classification worth?
Under existing conditions the best way to
secure approximate accuracy in the tabu-
lation of such statistics would be to use
the data just as they are reported under
the varying systems of registration adopt
ed by local authorities. ITO alter the re-
turns in order to adapt them to Procrus-
team schedule devised by the census office
(Which, though ideally perfect. is either
more or less comprehensive than the origi-
nal records) would rob them of half their
value.
A cursory examination of the mortality
tables of the eleventh census GS90) empha-
sizes the fact that much which passes for
precise information concerning matters of
vital Importance is little better than hap
hazard conjecture. The sources from which
the tabulated data are derived consist of
records kept in the states of Connecticut.
Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
New Jersey. New York Rhode Island Yer
mont and the District of Columbia, and in
2l1 cities where official registration of
births and deaths is required.
Here the discrepancies of the system be-
come glaringly apparent. For example,