Report on registration, presented to the Quarantine and Sanitary Convention, at its fourth annual meeting, held in the city of Boston, June 14, 1860 / by Edwin M. Snow.

  • Snow, Edwin M. (Edwin Miller), 1820-1888.
Date:
[1860?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on registration, presented to the Quarantine and Sanitary Convention, at its fourth annual meeting, held in the city of Boston, June 14, 1860 / by Edwin M. Snow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    length of human life, this object of registration appeals directly to the sympathies and interests of the community as well as of individuals, and its importance is apparent to all. This object is particularly important in cities where so many complicated causes are constantly in operation to produce dis- ease and death. In the examination of this subject, I shall proceed to show— First—The kind and extent of the information which it is desirable to obtain by registration, and, Second—The best method of obtaining this information, par^ ticularly in the cities of the United States. I. The kind and extent of the information desired. If we refer to the two objects of registration as already stated, it will be seen that the character of the information required for these objects is entirely different. For genealogical and legal purposes, and to show the personal history of the population, it is necessary that the record should be of such a character that each individual may be identified in his relations to his family. On the other hand, for statistical and sanitary purposes, we care nothing for the identification of indi- viduals ; but wish simply certain facts independent of all relation to individuals. It will readily be seen that it is difficult to fix the limits to the information which may be obtained, and which may prove useful when obtained. It is desirable that the portion of the information which is to be recorded should be such as may be given under suitable heads in a record book of convenient size. These limits will be suf- ficient for recording all that is necessary to accomplish the first object of registration, viz: the identification of individuals ; and will also be sufficient to include some of the most important items of information to be used for statistical and sanitary purposes. For these purposes facts alone are required, some of which it is not necessary should be recorded ; but the facts thus obtained may be used without recording, from the original returns, and their number and character may be changed according to the wants of different communities, and may be limited only by the ability to obtain such as are reliable. Those who have become interested in the study and analysis of such facts will agree with me that there is no danger of obtaining too many of them, or of obtaining such as cannot be used with advantage. Such being the general principles in relation to the informa- tion which it is desirable to obtain by a system of registration, I can better show the particular items by giving a specimen of the blanks which seem to me to be best adapted to obtain returns