A number of years ago he was called from his breakfast to attend a woman in labor; upon arriving at the house he found the child already born; in a half hour he had completed his duties and left the mother and infant in good condition. He was paid the usual house fee by the father (one fact which is indelibly impressed on the doctor's mind) and was told he need not call again as arrangements had been made to have the physicians from the Lying-In Hospital take charge of the case; that they had already been sent for and were expected any minute. Under the circumstances the doctor felt that as he had not been present at the birth, and as the case was under the care of the staff of the Lying-In Hospital before and after the confinement that it would be the duty of the hospital to report the birth. He returned to his cold breakfast and proceeded to forget the case. Seven years later a man called at the doctor's office and demanded a certificate of birth of his child; the doctor had no recollection of the man or his wife, or of having attended at the birth of the child, and after a diligent search of his books could find no record of having patients of that name. The man left dissatisfied and returning on several occasions each time demanded a certificate of his child's birth. Finally the doctor recalled the case of his interrupted breakfast many years before; he could not, however, identify the man or his wife. He communicated with the Hospital of the Lying-In Society, a search of their books revealed the fact that they had had such a case. The doctor then advised the father to apply to the hospital for a birth certificate, which the hospital evidently refused to supply, and the father returned and roundly abused the doctor in the presence of an office full of patients. The doctor escorted the father to his front door, gently he assures us, the father stood outside and shouted a few unpleasant epithets to the doctor, much to the doctor's chagrin and the neighbors' enjoyment. The doctor was next served with a subpoena to appear in the Municipal Court to show why he had failed to file a certificate of birth; he was ordered by the Justice to produce his books; he did so, but neither the father not his attorney could find any record of the birth. Three days later he was served with a summons and complaint in an action to recover $2,000 damage for the bodily injury the father sustained at the time the doctor escorted him to the front door, gently as he tells us. It is very questionable if, under the law, the doctor in this case could be held responsible for not reporting the birth. DEATH RATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 27, 1913. There were 1,357 deaths and a death rate of 13.18 per 1,000 of the population reported during the past week as against 1,403 deaths and a rate of 14.15 during the corresponding week in 1912, an absolute decrease of 46 deaths, equivalent to a relative decrease of 100 deaths, and a decrease in the rate of .97 of a point. Those causes showing material decreases were scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough, organic heart diseases, lobar pneumonia and violence; those causes showing increases were measles, broncho-pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, other forms of tuberculosis, Bright's disease and nephritis. Viewed from the standpoint of age grouping there was an increased mortality of infants under one year and a diminished mortality between one and five years of age and at sixty-five years and over. The death rate for the first fifty-two weeks of the year was 13.75, as against a rate of 14.08 during the corresponding period of 1912, a decrease of .33 of a point. VITAL STATISTICS Summary for Week Ending Saturday, 12 M., December 27, 1913. Corrected according to borough of residence. The presence of several large institutions, the great majority of whose inmates are non-residents of the city, increases considerably the death-rate of this Borough. Week Ending. 11. 18. 25. I. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. Nov. Nov Nov. Nov. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec 8. 15. 22 29. 6. 13 20 27. Total.... 1,349 1,254 1,199 1,686 1,236 1,496 1,744 1,356 1,628 1,949 1,757 1,391 A number of years ago he was called from his breakfast to attend a woman in labor; upon arriving at the house he found the child already born; in a half hour he had completed his duties and left the mother and infant in good condition. He was paid the usual house fee by the father (one fact which is indelibly impressed on the doctor's mind) and was told he need not call again as arrangements had been made to have the physicians from the Lying-In Hospital take charge of the case; that they had already been sent for and were expected any minute. Under the circumstances the doctor felt that as he had not been present at the birth, and as the case was under the care of the staff of the Lying-In Hospital before and after the confinement that it would be the duty of the hospital to report the birth. He returned to his cold breakfast and proceeded to forget the case. Seven years later a man called at the doctor's office and demanded a certificate of birth of his child; the doctor had no recollection of the man or his wife, or of having attended at the birth of the child, and after a diligent search of his books could find no record of having patients of that name. The man left dissatisfied and returning on several occasions each time demanded a certificate of his child's birth. Finally the doctor recalled the case of his interrupted breakfast many years before; he could not, however, identify the man or his wife. He communicated with the Hospital of the Lying-In Society, a search of their books revealed the fact that they had had such a case. The doctor then advised the father to apply to the hospital for a birth certificate, which the hospital evidently refused to supply, and the father returned and roundly abused the doctor in the presence of an office full of patients. The doctor escorted the father to his front door, gently he assures us, the father stood outside and shouted a few unpleasant epithets to the doctor, much to the doctor's chagrin and the neighbors' enjoyment. The doctor was next served with a subpoena to appear in the Municipal Court to show why he had failed to file a certificate of birth; he was ordered by the Justice to produce his books; he did so, but neither the father not his attorney could find any record of the birth. Three days later he was served with a summons and complaint in an action to recover $2,000 damage for the bodily injury the father sustained at the time the doctor escorted him to the front door, gently as he tells us. It is very questionable if, under the law, the doctor in this case could be held responsible for not reporting the birth. DEATH RATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 27, 1913. There were 1,357 deaths and a death rate of 13.18 per 1,000 of the population reported during the past week as against 1,403 deaths and a rate of 14.15 during the corresponding week in 1912, an absolute decrease of 46 deaths, equivalent to a relative decrease of 100 deaths, and a decrease in the rate of .97 of a point. Those causes showing material decreases were scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough, organic heart diseases, lobar pneumonia and violence; those causes showing increases were measles, broncho-pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, other forms of tuberculosis, Bright's disease and nephritis. Viewed from the standpoint of age grouping there was an increased mortality of infants under one year and a diminished mortality between one and five years of age and at sixty-five years and over. The death rate for the first fifty-two weeks of the year was 13.75, as against a rate of 14.08 during the corresponding period of 1912, a decrease of .33 of a point. VITAL STATISTICS Summary for Week Ending Saturday, 12 M., December 27, 1913. Corrected according to borough of residence. The presence of several large institutions, the great majority of whose inmates are non-residents of the city, increases considerably the death-rate of this Borough. Deaths by Principal Causes, According to Locality and Age. Total.... â;སི£ནཀྑ॰ ། 18. 25. 8. 15. 22 Dec. 29. 1 6. Dec. Dec. Dec 13 20 27. 38c 436 74 374 304 386 436 392 3831 394 299 270 332 279 179 102 1,349 1,254 1,199 1,686 1,236 1,496 1,744 1,356 1,628 1,949 1,757 1,391 |