The farmer and mechanic., 1913-01-07
NO BOOKS KEPT
By Which State Board of Health Can Show What
Is Being Accomplished With Public Health
Funds
BY DR.. w. S. RANKIN.

able TO say that his state department.
OF education, or his state insurance
department, or his state corporation
commission is efficient or not. out ho
should be able 10 say that his depart
ment of health is efficient or ineth-
cient. This requires no special train
Ing. The death rate test is the SIM
pie and true efficiency test thai any
one can apply To a health department.
1he differences in the death rat ttha-
Is, the annual number OF deaths pa.-
1000 of the population from al
causes, and annual number Of aoaths
Fer 1000 Of population from such
special causes as the more important
preVentable diseases). a the time TIA,
health department assumed Controt-
ard at the time II is judged tcils. t.
the decimal point what il has .tccoiu-
pIished in saving human life. II = -
no consequence how much literat.rt-
a health department may prepare ana
distribute, how many instructive ad-
dresses on health topics il has given,
how many health exhibits il has helu
now many hOOkwOrn treatm ntS ll
has administered, and how MANY
j other things it has done. if these
| thIrgS are without perceptible Cfecl
en- death rates. the method of healt
work is Incidental; the effect n re-
At present the only registration Ia :.
! III North Carolina is law that APP
! plies to about one-sixth of the state,
population-to the towns of the state
that requires only death resistra
/ ton, and that is incomplete IN it,
operation for lack of funds with
| which to enforce il. There is no
State registration law and 40 esttb-
| lished State death rates. II is. there
Il lnDOSSlhla IN -
money expended by the State in the
past for health work has doaa. Ihe
State Board of Health keeps IN ac-
count of the money turned over 10 il.
al account of the items for whic:i th-
money was expended. but as to the
ultimate purchase for which that
money was expended, as To the arr
ter of human lives saved and ths
number of days of sickness il prevent
ed no man knows The State Go'Td
J of Health under the present system
of work is like a firm that has c'r-
tain sum of money turned Over 10 ii
with which TO do business: thn ii NJ
keeps an account Of its eXpenIitui e5.
but no account Of its receipts aid 80
one can tell whether II is being op"r
ated at profit or a ip5s. If i m ,a
| should do business as the State does
! health work, sensible people might
call him very cruel name.
There are many otEer strong rca-
sons, principally of legal nature
why we should make permanent otti
cial record of the births and dca h
: of our people. An official record q
, the circumstances of every death
.. signed by a physician or coroner. VII
: prevent hasty buriais Of bodies uf prr
/, sons who, after decompositiol ha!
! done its work, are discovered t. hav'
: died under suspicious circumstances
;, Without registration of births, chill
Gren are sent prematurely. bv I'M
: scrupulOus parents, under the 'oka .
y servitude: without n system OF oirti
. registration, the compulsory schoo
II law, which in the next six years vii
+. apply to large part of the popua
;. ton Of the State, will prove defectiv
:. :. a it's very source, in the matter .
;, determining by official record tie age
- Of children: without registration o
births justice often blunders or fail
= down altogether in determining tfues
:, tions of citizenship, suffrage and mar
;, rage privileges. in awarding .a.re-i
g tances. and in fixing damages
ID Finally, when a pure biooded hors
n or COW or dog or hog is born. its bir-
!, is registered even if its birthplace
n in North Carolina Historians tell u
0. that our children are OF the pires
q blCOded white stock on the cou1iQeu
!. Are they not entitled to - nauch cor
+ sideration in the matter e birth reG
n istration as we give 1ne hlOoded hos
A. and dogs: Gentlemen Of the Geaer<
ia assembly OF 1914. It iofNE you to-
o1 whether North Cnxollna chil4 4ke1
of entitled TO reGislxo lfon.s sEae1f gg i.
Dewith yoa- - - s g ssI