The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-07

these men have done some earnest
work and are carrying on the duties
as well, and possibly better than could
any of the rest of us.) So with this ap-
ology, unnecessary perhaps, I want to
say that in my opinion the day is fast
| passing when a city, may reasonably
expect satisfactory public health re-
suits from few hours work a week
from some busy physician. The duties
| are So numerous, the problems so
| complex that especially trained public
health officials are necessity. IL we
are to accomplish the most in the con-
servation of the life and health OF our
community.
Now, what about birth? Why should
the birth of Johnny Jones be recorded
in legal writ? Last year when Sammie
came his name was recorded on the
decorated page Of the family bible,
and the record was complete. Not SO
! with Johnny. On his birth certificate
his whole pedigree must appear, and
when in due time this certificate is
filed in the fire-proof vaults of the
State Board of Health, he will have in
contestible, proof for all time to. come,
that he was duly born.
| He will have official proof OF his
parentage. BY the same proof he may
GO to school when Of proper age and
not before. -,
BY this same certificate he may show
y hen he has reached the e>legal age for
employment in factory, II he be Of for
eign born parents this certificate may
protect the American born man from
enforced military duty when visiting
the mother country. -
Prosecutions dealing with "age OF
\ ~ nrrf I,a
| cord, and not ty conjecture The ex-
act date Of birth may be OF immense
Importance in the settlement of inheri-
| tance. The story is told Of young
man who established his age and saw
ed his Inheritance by the common
| knowledge that he was born on the
same day as certain registered horse.
| One-third OF the blindness in the
United States is due to lack of care
OF the eyes at birth. In many communi-
ties the health authorities are endea-
voring to supply this care, but their
effort will be futile unless births are
properly registered. E q {
| So we see that the recording of
births and deaths furnish, all public
tagencies the material to work ON. tsVi-
tai statistics are he1tbook+keeping or
health and we cannot economic health
any more successfully than wen can
leconoinize money Unless rowe. keep
bo0ks.ni -. rat.J cgAt ,,,t,g an.f.. :
+ Now. what about our, new laW2 IT lis
uniform act construed by, the work
fefB OF the census department of tha
iUs S.i.governmept, and is practically
identical with that which Has BEEN
passed by most of the 6thef afatee.
The, birth and death certificate thanks
which we are required to fih' out are
likewise uniform. They are ScoReise
and simple. 1t would be a good plan
for each OF us TO. carry "a ahsupply or
those in oas obstresric bags so,,that
/ We can ill out birth csfssif.. cssss: On
the spot. The death certificate will
not be liable to be forgotten, because
the undertaken will remind US of this,
but unless we make it Q rigid rule 10
fill out birth certificates at once. we
will be liable to overlook them. This
we must not do, because death regis
Itration without birth registration Is
like accurate accounting OF expenses,
but without consideration OF income.
| Let us resolve that this law which
the physicians OF this State have been
talking about and working for for over
. half century shall have our loyal
support. ~.
Most of the data on the above; paper
was gotten from the reading OF pam
phlet on vital statistics issued by the
Association Of Life Insdgahce Presi-
dents, Z 8 .fissliJf