ï~~ 120 ANNUAL REPORT [W. VA. 1922] STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT 121 Recognizing the handicap that the State Department of Health was laboring under an effort was made to have a model vital statistics law placed upon the statute books. After six years of effort this has been accomplished. The new law provides that all births be reported within 10 days and all deaths before the body is disposed of. Number Number Number Number Births Births Deaths Deaths Births are reported by physicians and midwives, while the duty of ReportedReported, Reported Reported reporting deaths rests upon the undertaker. In all cases reports are COUNTY First Six Second Six Fin s Six Serond Six G reprtngN onh Mo nts Gi os oths. Months. Gain Loss made to representatives of this department, known as Local Registrars, Working Working Working Working..Under Old Under New Under Old Under New one or more of which are located in each magisterial district. Law Law Law Law These Local Registrars are appointed direct from this office and are Barbour........ 200 282 82.......... 18 86 68 subject to removal if they fail to make proper reports. A fee of 25c is Berkeley....... 34 204 170........... 5 131 126 Boone.............17 260 243...............3 63 60. allowed the registrar for each birth or death report sent in. Braxton.............96 249 153...........25 78 53 Under the new law, a marked improvement is noticed both in the Brooke........171 243 72.............. 33 7 44 number of reports received and in the fullness and completeness with Calhoun........ 51 100 49......... 5 33 28. Clay............. 89 157 68........... 2 38 36. which these reports are made out. Doddridge...... 3 92 89........... 2 53 51. Fayette......... 783 858 75........... 91 295 204 Unerod a Udr e lwGilmer............111 61..............50 1 3 4 Under old law Under new lawGrant.......... 82 69. First 6 months, 1921 Second 6 months Gain Greenbrier...... 251 334 83........... 62 134 72 Hampshire......80 157 77...............11 53 42. Birth reports received 13,131 18,907 5,776 Hancock............248 328 80............. 36 97 61 Death reports received 2,762 7,231 4,469 Hardy.........67 138 111.......62 17 Barrison........667 978 311.........25 36 1. Jackson......... 21 171 150........... 8 56 48. Seven counties, namely Gilmer, Grant, Logan, Pendleton, Randolph, Jefferson........ 134 136 2........... 25 84 59. Kanawha...... 1,308 1,745 437.......... 406 644 238. Webster and Wirt, failed to turn in as many certificates of birth in the Lewis.......... 179 206 27........... 110 136 26. second six months as they did in the first six months, while only one L"..a 2...~~6 43 1;, Logan............760 676..............84 10 28 18 county, Tucker, fell behind in death reports. McDowell..... 1,029 1,108 79.......... 187 352 165. M ro.652 813 - 161...... 36 312 276... Many of the counties made enormous gains, as shown by the following Marshall..6 348 342 5 184 179. Mason......... 200 256 56.......... 48 97 49. table. Mercer........ 700 814 114........80 257 177. Mineral...... 244 287 43........66 147 81. Mingo.................... 265 265..................... 78 78. Monongalia.... 515 533 18......... 103 189 86. Monroe........ 76 161 85........ 16 51 35. Morgan....... 116 131 15........ 23 49 26. Nicholas..... 234 290 56........20 54 34. Ohio........... 182 637 455........44 406 362. Pendleton.... 113 111 2 31 37 6. Pleasants..... 37 106 69........ 1 35 34. Pocahontas............ 182 182.................... 76 76. Preston........ 343 392 49...... 78 153 75. Putnam....... 158 189 31........35 49 14. Raleigh....... 655 788 133......... 100 218 118. Randolph,.... 431 372 59 4 121 117. Ritchie........ 158 203 45........48 71 23. Roane......... 177 279 102........76 118 42. Summers...... 33 137 104.......24 77 53. Taylor....,... 6 229 223........2 101 99. Tucker........ 180 238 58......9 71 23 Tyler.......... 69 145 76........40 70 30. Upshur........ 141 195 54.88 92 4. Wayne........ 13 228 215.........62 62. Webster....... 214 188......... 267 42 25. Wetzel........ 217 288 71.... 71 113 42. W irt.......... 62 59.......... 3 1 6 2..... Wood......... 156 434 278........41 215 174. Wyoming...... 7 163 156....... 2 40 38. Total..... 13,131 18,907 6,013 237 2,762 7,231 4,492 23 Total Gain............................ 5,576 Total Gain................. 4,469 IL: AL