Fwd From another List -------------------------------- VITAL STATISTICS To Be Collected in Accordance with New Law. ---------- Dec. 2, 1910 "Bowling Green, Ky.- Active preparations are being made here for the operation of the Bureau of Vital Statistics law, which goes in effect Jan. 1, 1911. This law provides for the reporting and recording of all births and deaths and the collection of morbidity statistics. It is a department of the State Board of Health and is one far-reaching in its importance to the welfare and lives of the people of Kentucky. "Kentucky's Bureau will be a combination of the best features of similar bureaus in other states with some suggestions of the Census Department added. "Under this law, before a body is buried, the undertaker must procure a burial or removal permit, which shall be issued only by the Local Registrar, who will be placed at convenient localities. This permit can be secured only when a certificate of death has been filed out by the physician, and in the event the person has died of an infectious or communicable disease, smallpox, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, erysipelas, before a burial permit is issued the body must be so prepared for burial that there is no danger of a spread of the disease in the community. This not only safeguards the public, but by means of these reports of deaths coming in from all over the state, properly tabulated and classified, the State Board of Health is able to learn the infected districts and spots that need cleaning up. Through its sanitary inspectors and engineer, the cause of such prevalence of disease is learned and proper regulations enforced as will stop this needless slaughter of the citizens of the Commonwealth. "The entire force of the bureau and State Board of health is engaged in appointing suitable men at distances of a few miles, over the entire state. These are the Local Registrars, who not only will report births and deaths, but arrangements are being perfected so that they will report the cases of infections and dangerous diseases that occur in their district and which do not necessarily die. When this system is in operation Kentucky will be on an equal footing for procuring these vital facts as the state of Pennsylvania, which spends the sum of $3,000,000,000 [sic] each year for health work. "The Voting Precinct is being used as the unit for the territory each Local Registrar will cover in his reports.When two or more units can be combined to advantage, resulting in no inconvenience to the people, this arrangement is made. Already hundreds of acceptances have been received from men all over the state and include bankers, lawyers, teachers, farmers, clerks [,] and in nearly all instances, people who are interested in promoting public health work. It is mainly the work of sending the proper blanks and instructions that will occupy the time till the operation of the law on January 1, 1911".