Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-03-20

sional services. He also declared
that the $40 could not be termed
charge for a single visit, as he visited
a number OF patients on each occasion
that he visited RehobOth
Said Charge Is Personal.
Dr. Orr said he considered DR.. Bur
tons statements a personal attack
upon himself. and made a counter
charge against that physician which
the committee deemed foreign to the
case and the evidence was not placed
on the records.
James A. Ellison. formerly secretary
Of the Wilmington Board OF Health,
from 1911 to Feb, 1916, was the next
witness and told OF methods for col
lecting deaths, births and marriages
while he was in office. lie said he
collected them and received from the
county Ave cents for each record. He
testified that the secretary OF the
state Board of Health made a request
on him for the death certificates,
clssming that the bureau OF vital sta
tistics, Of which he was at the head,
had a prior right TO the death certih-
Gates.
Ellison Is Paid for Records.
Mr.. Ellison said he id not comply
with DR. Frantzs request until 1913.
That year, he said, a new law was
passed concerning births and mar
riages, but deaths were not covered in
the new law. DR.. Frantz again came
to him, the witness said. and told him
he would make him deputy register Of
vital statistics and give him 10 cents
"a copy for each death certificate sent
to him He then sent them to DR..
Frantz, as he was not compelled un-
der the law to send them TO the county
where he got but cents for each rec
ord. He had no knowledge what the
State secretary received for the same
records. The witness said DR.. Frantz
did not pay him for the last quar-
tier that he furnished the records OF
deaths.
I Mr. Ellison was questioned as to
his ideas OF the State laws relative to
vital statistics and said in his opinion
the present State laws in that respect
cannot be excelled. He thought IL
would be best however. TO have a
Registrar OF Vital Statistics who
I would devote all his time to that
office. He also said he would suggest
that a Director OF Public Health in
stead of a seven membership State
Health Board would also be a step
forward In answer to a question by
Mr.. Hartman, the witness said in 1916
} there were 1895 deaths, about 200
births and tbout 1000 marriages re-
corded at tho Board Of Health office
in Wilmington.
DIR. Steele Explains.
DR. r. Richmond Steele. Of Dover.
member OF the state Board OF
Health, who was on the stand at the
hearing a week ago. was recalled and
asked by Mr.. Hartman concerning GER
tain charges in connection with the
infantile paralysis epidemic last sum
mer In the Beechy case, referred to
last week, he said the charge of ex-
aiming the children and furniture
was $3.50 and not 81. He denied tell
ing Frank Kersey that the charge to
go out and examine his furniture
would be So. In the Thomas Williams
case, he said. he charged 81 for ex-
aiming the furniture and child, deny
ing that he charged 81 for the furni-
ture and 81 for the child.
Witness was next examined in re-
I gard to anti-toxn furnished by the
,, State Board OF Health. In reply to
questions. he said recently II had be-
}, come possible for the board to replace
. old anti-toxin for new, without addi
B.. tional cost. lie denied that he hat
G ever used old anti-toxin in the cas-
r. OF poor or INDECENT patients, or II
fact any that he would not use il
his own family or his own privat,
7 practice. He said he had even gOn,
, TO drug stores and bought new il
I such cases when he could not get /
! from the board
4 Did you ever discrlminate"' Mr.
\ Hartman. asked
NO " he replied. but am sorry tC
say that we have had to discriminate
in the cases Of some doctors" He