Report of the joint special committee of the Legislature of Massachusetts appointed to consider the expediency of modifying the laws relating to the registration of births, marriages, and deaths : presented March 3, 1849.
- Massachusetts. General Court.
- Date:
- 1849
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the joint special committee of the Legislature of Massachusetts appointed to consider the expediency of modifying the laws relating to the registration of births, marriages, and deaths : presented March 3, 1849. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![might not fully accomplish its intended purpose. And it was suggested to the compilers of the Fourth Registration Report, that the remarks accompanying the returns of the several town clerks, on whom devolved the principal labor of carrying the law into operation, should be inserted, that the Legislature might have their testimony, and the results of their experience; and this practice has been continued in the subsequent reports. These documents afford the means of essentially aiding the Leg- islature in framing proper laws. The committee have also had access to numerous private letters, from town clerks, and they have obtained the opinions of other intelligent men. The laws and results of registration in the governments of Europe have also been examined. All these sources of information afford the means of enlightened legislation. The uniform opinion of those who have examined the subject, seems to be, that a more efficient system is expedient, and that the present is a favorable opportunity to devise one. V. The Fifth Question which we propose to consider is, Can an efficient system of Registration be carried into practical operation? Is it adapted to our institutions? and will it be ap- proved by our people ] To illustrate this part of the subject, it may be proper to ad- vert, briefly, to the experience of others on the subject. Sys- tems of registration are in operation, in nearly all the civilized governments of Europe. Geneva was one of the earliest cities to establish a system of registration of births, marriages, and deaths. The registers were begun as early as 1549, and have since been continued with great care. They contain facts in re- lation to every person who is born, marries, or dies, and are viewed as the authorized evidences of civil rights. The regis- tration includes the name of the disease which caused the death which is certified to, not only by the attendant physician, but also by a district physician, appointed by government, who is charged with the inspection of every person deceased, within his district. The reports of the officers are examined every fifteen days by a medical board, discussed, and sometimes modified, or extended. After all this effort to obtain scientific](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21168647_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
