VITAL STATISTICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8383, 18 March 1907, Page 3

VITAL STATISTICS.

THE NEED OF UNIVERSAL

NOMENCLATURE,

In order to readily compare the •various branches of the vital statistics, of Australia with those of other countries, the adoption of a common nomenclature and scheme of classification is essential. This remark applies with perhaps special force to the record of disease and death, mainly because of the elaborate character of the technical description required. The classification at present in use in Australia has long been recognised to be defective and to urgently need revision, points upon which there is perfect unanimity on the part of the professional statisticians of Australia. The classification actually in use neither responds to the needs of medical science, as it stands to-day, nor does it satisfactorily admit of a wide field of comparison. The changes made in other countries in respect to vital statistics make' it eminently desirable that there should be a collateral change in this. It is now over seven years ago that the United States, Canada, and Mexico decided to accept the classification of the "Institute International de Statistique," subject to the amendments involyed by the resolution of the meeting, then to be held, in 1900. This classification; owing to the part he played in its development, is generally associated with the nam,e of Dr. Jacques Bertillon, the distinguished Chief of the Statistical Department of the City of Paris; in fact, the classification is usually called the Bertillon Classification. As is well known, the International Institute was created in London in 1885, under the auspices of the British Government. It revived and developed the functions of the International Statistical Commission, and ■with consummate care has undertaken the undeniably important work of articulating practically the whole range of ordinary statistics. It has done this in such a manner as to commend its work to all persons who recognise the greatly iuctvised value' acquired by statistics vhen developed upon a plan, uniform, so far as that is possible, throughout the world. In Australia, however, there has, so far, hwv no wellordered attempt to fall into iine with the progress in statistical technique that has characterised internationally adopted methods, notwithstanding that this improvement of technique expressly aims at mak.ng the comparison as wide as possible, and is really essential for the purpose of thorough comparative criticism. When the fundamental character of vital statistics is perceived, it will be also recognised how desirable it is that Australia, should no longer hesitate to :i'all 'into line with internationally adopted methods. The creation of a Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, and the entrance of that Bureau upon the work of statistical compilation for the Commonwealth itself, may be regarded as a fitting opportunity to introduce, as far as circumstances will allow, all modern ' developments of statistical technique. With this in view, and as -one step in the right direction, -the Honourable the Minister for Home Affairs authorised, and the Commonwealth Statistician (Mr(*. H. Knibbs) undertook, the work of preparing an English translation of the comprehensive classification of diseases and causes of death adopted by the International Institute above referred to. This has now been issued for the use of medical practitioners, registrars of deaths, and statisticians, as well as for general information. The classification will be supplied gratis to any person professionally interested in statistics. Any medical man communicating his desire for a copy, to the Commonwealth Statistician at the "Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, Melbourne,"-will receive a copy by return of post. It is, of course, to the medical man that the statistician must look to correctly describe the causes of death on the certificates. Behind the certificates the statistician cannot go, and, therefore, from the statistical point of view, they are of value just in proportion to their correctness. It is not, however, sufficient that they should accurately conform to some nomenclature, however scientifically sound. It is necessary that the adopted • nomenclature should be worldwide. The one now offered is 'intended to serve for the existing deeonium, and will then be revised and brought up-to-date. If medical men, throughout Australia, in furnishing certificates of death, will adopt this nomenclature, they will greatly facilitate the work of the Statistician. In' so far as the nomenclature is not followed in such certificates, the Statistician will he compelled to recast it as best he may, for unless that is done, the statistics of Australia cannot be put into immediate comparison with those of other countries. Practically all statistics arc relative. To readily compare the conditions of this country in regard, say, to tlie health of its people, we must ascertain not merely the total number of deaths in the whole Commonwealth, but the number in »ach characteristically different division of the Commonwealth, and, further, the number from each specific cau-e of death. The Statistician must force compile the certificates as ne receives them, or, if they do n:>t conform to the adopted nomenclature, interpret them as far as he can. It is hoped, therefore, that the. responsible societies of the medical profession, and the press, will give the matter such publicity as is necessary to reach the end in view. The Minister for Home Affairs, in making the international classification available, hopes that the members of the medical profession will assist in bringing Australian vital statistics into line with international statistical technique. Unless this is done, the object of the publication will not be realised, and the vital statistics of Australia will not acquire the desired status.