The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-27
Or. q. II. Summer Of Town etate Board
Of Health Would Have Change
Made In the Old
Procedure.
HE OUTLINES HIS PLANS
Guard Against InfantiIe Paralysis
and Other Communicable Con-
taglous Diseases, 10 His
Suggestion.

DIES MONIES, Jan. 27.-Reconl-
nendations for a new vital statistics
law, a request for more funds for the
state board of health. protection of
the water supply, school building
law. a general building law, school
inspection law. "morbidity law"
are contained in the biennial report of
Guilford H. Sumner. secretary and
executive officer of the Iowa state
board of health. In his report DIR.
Sumner expresses belief that dur
ing 1917 tnfantile paralysis will visit
Iowa again, and asks that the legis-
the epidemic. Following is the re-
port in part:
iowa should have new vital sta
tistics law. Our state is not having
births properly recorded. The method
of having assessors gather the rec
ords of births is not very reliable,
neither is it at all practical. The
proper way to have births. deaths,
marriages and divorces recorded is
to make the county the unit. The
clerk of courts should be the ccdnty
register, and all births and deaths
should be reported to him for regis
ter. All birth certificates and all
death certificates, using the forms
adopted by the United States census
bureau, should be filed with the clerk
of courts. The physicians. where
physicians are in attendance, should
report all births TO the clerk of
courts. When no physician Is in
attendance at the birth Of child,
then the parents should be charged
with the duty of making the proper
report. In the case of deaths, the
undertaken should make report of
ell deaths. After ali births and deaths
have been properly recorded in the
counties. then all birth certificates
and death certificates should be sent
to the state registrar at the capitol,
where they should be properly bound
in volumes, keeping each county in a
volume by itself. That would be a
simple method and easily understood,
and such lay could 30 easily err
forced. and the records would ne in
the hands Of the clerk Of courts,
where such information is generally
required in the settlement of estates,
ETC. Records would not be destroyed
or lost If kept in the Office Of the
clerk of courts.
Should Have Funds.
"The state board OF health should
be given more funds in order that
it may do more and better work.
"The proper protection of our
water supply is most important, and
the pollution of streams should be
prohibited.
"There should be school house
building law, in order that proper
school houses which shall be built
in the future. shall be built, prop
erly in regard to heating, lighting
and ventilation.
"A school inspection law is desir-
able in order that pupils may be
early detected who have some de-
fects that should be discovered and
corrected. Among the things to be
looked after are bad teeth, eye
troubles. nose and mouth disease
and the contagious and infectious
diseases In short, close school in
spection of children is desirable and
necessary.
"A general building law should be
form ulated in order that the proper
housing OF our people may be
be prevented.
.Tt is feared that during the year
1917 infantiie paralysis will visit
Iowa again, hence the legislature
should see to 1t that proper means
are furnished the state board of
health in order that much sickness
and sorrow may be avoided.
"a morbidity law should be passed
in order that all transmissable or
communicable diseases may be prop.
erly and regularly reported to the
state board of health. It Is nscs.
sary that all such diseases as tuber-
culosis, typhoid fever. pneumonia and
many other diseases not now report
ed should be reported. When this is
dome. then proper instruction may
be sent out to the people"