The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-08
HEALTH EXPERTS
CITE VIRGINIA
LAxITY OF VITAL STATISTICS Is
DEPLoRED BY ORGAN
TO SECURE REFORMS
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION is
TO HOLD IMPORTANT sEs-
SION TO REVISE WAYS
AND MEANS.
TO SECURE REFORMS

Unless a man attain to fame, or
commit some crime. or serve term
in prison. or enlist in the army or navy
of his country no permanent record
of his existence survives in many
States, except by accident"
BY the ecitation of this trenchant
paragraph from the April number of
the Virginia Health Bulletin, accord
ing to Washington advices. members
OF the organization committee of the
fifteenth International Congress on
Hygiene and Demography, to meet In
Washington next September, are lay
ing much emphasis upon one of the
most important reforms to be extend
ed over the whole United States Free
quently during the work of preparing
for this congress. the fact has been
brought to light that the majority OF
States Of the country have no laws
making compulsory the recording or
births and deaths.
Area OF Registration.
In fact the so-cafled registration
area. covers little more than half
the population of the United States
mostly in the more thickly populated
States Oft the East. ----- --z-.
1t Ia this condition which the officers
OF the forthcoming Congress believe
will be corrected through the con-
gress; since no effort will be more
strongly exerted during the meetings
than that by which II Is hoped to
unity the health regulations and the
rules OF hygiene OF the various 1uris-
dictions Of the country.
Not the least interesting OF the
phases of this work 10 secure uniform
practice will be the examples cited
10 show the harm which has been IN
! hicted upon individuals and upon COM
urunitics. through the lack OF com
pulsory registration of vital statistics.
The "yirxinia Health Bulletin fur
nishes another such example. since
from II this instance will be quoted:
Even Calf is Registered.
I'm suit over some property IN
an American State. the age of one Of
the heirs became a question OF prime
Importance None OF the witnesses
could be exact. all remembered the
approyinate year. but all were unable
To fix the time beyond question. There
was no public record of the birth
which might be consulted. IL seemed
he would lose nis rights merely re
cause he could not establish his exact
age Then by chance, someone re-
naembcred that Thoroughbred cow on
the farm had given birth TO calf the
day the man was BORN. Other wit
resses corroborated this. The calr was
valuable: it's birth had been registered.
BY the s,t,t,isf of the REeesers-AsSo=
citation. the man was able to prove
his own age
Neglect i'm United States.
y Still another example will be cited.
showing how the wedding OF an
American heiress TO a foreign noble
man was postponed for months, De
cause the bride could not prove by
record that she ever had been born.
And tt will be shown that the
United States has a chronic disability
In it's foreign relations because or
the neglect of registration of NOR
tali.y In many States This country
more often than not IL unable To COM
psy with the terms OF the convention
with Italy. signed in 1872, by whicn
each government agreed to forward
..procf of the death of any c'tizen
Of either country within the territory
Of the other"