The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-11-02
PHYSICIANS FAIL TO
SEND BIRTH REPORTS
Health Department Arrests
ViolatOrS Of Law.
PROSECUTION IN TWO CASES
Warrants Sworn Out Against Offenders
Without Sending Notices of Non
Compliance With Regulations.

For several months past the District
Health Department has been trying TO
find some practicable method Of obtain
ing returns Of all births within its juris-
diction. Health officer Woodward stated
this morning that a Plan is now IN
operation which, # is hoped, win COM
pei compliance with the law.
The chief difficulty" he said. lies in
the fact that the Health Department
has ordinarily no means OF knowing
when births occur. except in cases
when reports are made. as required by
law.
Evidence in Two Cases.
1T has recently found it possible to
obtain evidence in two eases and in such
cases prosecutions were instituted. One
Of these was against a physician. the
other against a midwife. In the former
case the physician made affidavit that
he had mailea the report OF the birth
and the c'ise was, therefore. nolle
pressed by Corporation Counsel The
other case i5 stiII pending.
1T is expected that the same method
which enabled the department TO OBJ
tain the necessary evidence in these two
cases will enable il 10 obtain further
evidence in the future. and prosecu-
tions WI be instituted accordingly. 1t
IS believed to be generally impracti-
cable from an administrative poiat Of
view. before instituting prosecutions in
these cases. TO caution the offending
parties OF their failure to comply with
the law. Prosecutions will be instituted
hereafter without notices.
Variation of the Rule.
IN some cases. II may be necessary 10
,F
ton for the parents of the child. These
cases. occur when the child has died be-
fore the Health Department learns its
birth has not been reported. The Health
Department win hereafter. so far as its
available force permits. whenever the
certificate OF death OF a young child is
received. If the child was born in the
District OF Columbia. search the birth
records. As the evidence Of some one
who can testify from his own knowledge
70 the fact that a given physician or
midwife did attend at the birth is neces-
sary in order 10 secure conviction.
prosecutions may be instituted even In
such cases. II no return of the birth has
been found. II it be found possible to
obtain evidence by subpoenaing some one
other than the parents Of the deceased
child Otherwise. however. unless there
with the case warning letter Will be
sent.
Omitted Through Oversight
1T is believed that reports Of births
are omitted merely through oversight on
the part OF the physician. One physi-
clan, who Is particularly careful about
matters OF this kind. always carries
with him blank birth certificates and
envelopes addressed to the Health De-
partment. These are left with the fam
lily at the time of the first visit so that
the necessary data can be inserted be-
fore the physician calls the second time
! The physician at his second visit signs
the certificate and sees that II is
promptly mailed. This method of max
ing birth returns seems TO be best adapt
ed to secure accuracy and uniformity.
Other methods. however. may be in
vogue that are equally satisfactory"