Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1905-07-01
VITAL STATISTICS.
Physicians Must File Record of Births
and Deaths After July /.

Physicians Must File Record of Births
and Deaths After July l.
Blanks necessary for compliance with
the new vital statistics law passed at tho
last session of the legislature have been
received by the clerk of courts. These
blanks provide for full information con-
corning all births and deaths, which
may happen in Custer county. Com
mencing July l, it will be the duty of
every physician in the state to register
with the clerk of the courts of the coun-
ty in which he resides every birth and
death which occurs in his practice, in
compliance with the blank forms which
he may now obtain from the clerk of
the courts. Every justice of the peace
must also keep himself constantly sup
piled with the blanks, which he may
obtain from the clerk of courts without
cost. Whenever citizen reports a
birth at which no physician attended,
the justice must make his informant
sign the blank and swear as to its truth
Section l6 of the session laws Of 1905,
providing for birth reports, is as fol-
lows:
On and after the first day Of July,
1905, it shall be the duty of every ply
sician, or other authorized person at.
tending at the birth of a child, to make
within ten days after the event of the
birth, a record of the facts required
herein, upon blanks provided by the
state for that purpose; provided, that if
the said child shall not have been named
within the ten days hereinbefore speci-
fed, then in such case all other parts
herein required shall be certified as
herein required, and the said child shall
be named within sixty days after its
birth, if living, and such name shall be
certified and reported by the parents, or
by one of them, or by the nearest of kin,
or by the householder, in which the
birth occurs, in like manner as herein
required. This record shall state the
name and sex Of the child, and the date
and place of its birth. The name, age,
nationality, place of birth, color, occupa-
ton and residence of the father; the
maiden name, age, color, nationality
place Of birth and residence Of the
mother, and the number of children
previously born to her, if any. And
this primary record, SO made, the physi-
clan or other authorized person shall
Immediately and within five days trans
NIT to the clerk of courts of the county
in which such birth occurs. Provided,
that in all cases where no physician or
other authorized person attends at the
birth of any child, it shall be the duty of
the male parent, or the oldest person
next of kin, or of the householder ofthe
house in which the birth occurs, to re-
port the facts necessary to make such
record 20 justice of the peace of the
county wherein such birth occurs, who
shall make the said primary record,
which shall be signed by the person
such facts, and be by
such justice transmitted to the clerk of
courts
Section % provides
Any physician or other person charged
with the duty of making and transmit
ting primary birth reports, as in this
act provided, who shall fail in the per
formance thereof shall forfeit to the
state the sum of 500, to be recovered in
a civil action.
The law is equally stringent in regard
to the report of deaths, which may be
handed in to the clerk of courts on blank
forms to be obtained from him. In case
a person who is not physician reports
a death, he will have to appear before a
justice of the peace and swear to the re
port he shall give. Extracts from the
vital statistics law regarding death re-
ports are as follows:
Section IL. From and after the first
day of July, 1905, it shall be unlawful to
bury the corpse Of any person dying
within the state, or to remove the same
without first having obtained
a burial or transportation permit there
for, as hereinafter provided.
Section s. 1t shall be the duty of the
physician who last before death sees the
person whose corpse is to be buried or
transported from the state, to make a
primary death certificate, upon blanks
provided by the state for such purposes
which certificate shall contain the name,
nativity, age, date of death and place of
residence of the deceased, and if an in.
fant, the name and residence of its par
ents, and the length Of time deceased
had resided in this state; together with
the cause of death and duration Of the
fatal illness, and any contributing
causes that may have had any effect
in bringing the disease to fatal is.
sue
Section 10. This primary death certi-
fcate, so made shall be taken to Justice
of the peace of the county in which the
death occurred, who shall note the same
upon his docket, and issue in exchange
therefore burial or transportation per-
NIT as requested; provided, that such
permit shall comply with
the rules for the transportation of
corpses established by the state board of
health and he shall, within three days
4. l.. - l.
certificate to the clerk Of courts of bis
Section 20. In cases of accidental
death, or when no physician or other
person was present before
the death occurred. the next of kin of
said deceased, or any citizen cognizant
of tho facta muet at nnca rooEa oath ~