The Pascagoula chronicle. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1905-1920, 1919-06-14
"vITAL STATISTICS"

and Louisiana. The subject assigned
this year was "Vital Statistics" ant
Miss Catherine Brash, member of tn,
graduating class, won the medal fo
the Pascagoula High. School
Following is her composition
Vital statistics is system of ac
counting for human life. 1t consti
tutes careful record of births, deaths
sickness and health conditions of 6
community
There are a great many people who
do not realize the value of vital stats
tics. There is not homeseeker who
does not first inquire as to the health
conditions of the district in which he
expects to reside. II the conditions are
not truthfully and correctly impressed
upon the homeseeker, how can the dis
trict expect to thrive and gain perma-
nent prosperity? There are wrong i'm
pressions given as to the health con-
ditions of the South and this can be
overcome by such an organization as
takes care of the vital statistics 1t is
as necessary to know the health CON
ditions and the death rates of COM
mHpity as to know the quality of the
soil and climatic conditions. False re-
ports concerning the healthfulness of
the South are common in the North
and East but not so much as has been
These reports are due to tales told by
the tourists, eXaggeration, tales of ma
laria and swamps told in literature,
and the failure of editors to emphasize
the good work that is being done in
sanitation. By the use of vital statis-
tics though, these reports have been
lessened and the wrong impressions
are being moved. Yellow fever has
been conquered, and small pox can be
as easily controlled in the South as
elsewhere. Campaigns against tuber-
culosis, hook work diseases, and the
like, are as successful here as in other
places and with few precautions such
as screening, drainage, etc, malaria
will not be so common. All State
Boards of Health are urged to give
improve the sanitary conditions. The
health of the people is of greatest i'm
pnrfpnrQ tn anV state
Since vital statistics is a registration
Of births and deaths and diseases. it
is Of great Importance in guarding our
lives against all diseases. 1t is writ
ten statement of gains and losses in
the economy of life, or in other words
it is a bookkeeping of the human life.
1t may be of great value to any person
some day in protecting his lawful
rights. By means of vital statistics
the unsanitary conditions can be prop
erly corrected and will lead to longer
lives and happiness.
That people are willing to register
but that which tends to the
of human life is very
Thousands of dollars are
expended every year by every state
in estimating the value of stock, and |
the improvement of crops, and the
like, when report on vital statistics
would be invaluable in aiding in the eX-
of infectious diseases. 1t
is impossible to understand why re-
cord of the pedigree of dog, COW
goat, poultry, or such should be kept,
and when child is born into the
world, not even have written record
)f this.
Vital statistics is OF an individual
value as well as public. In many in
stances the record of the births or the
leaths would be of great value to us.
For instance in inherting property, in {
qualifying for office, in determining
whether individuals are of marriage
lble age, in education, and many other
instances too numerous to count.
1t is of great value to the Sanitarian,
when a new sanitary law is made. lie
S able to measure the results OF the
lew law by these vital statistics re-
)orts. If the law does not fulfill the
the cost of operating 1t +
an be saved.
A fully competent lawyer may find I
very embarrassing not to be able to !
i've the date of birth of some member
# his clients family. A citizen can
lain his legal rights by means OF vital
tatistics and without these correct re- I
,orts he can be deprived of his legal
lights or may deprive others OF theirs
II is not ouly of great value in regard
0 humanity but also in regard to econ
my. This has been proven IN the
ase of the Panama Canal project. the
french loss on account Of sickness
rom the unhealthful climate was SO
reat that they were forced to give up
he proiect. When the United States 6
egan to work in Panama. the death
ate was very high but by enforcing I
trict sanitary laws. the death rate
vas so greatly decreased that several q
ousand lives were saved every year c
his shows of what economic value
ital statistics is.
Many inquiries are made of the stare
S to the death rate and the heai'ii
onditions of that state and without |
his they are not able give the re-
uested information.