Vital Statistics, Dallas County, Texas
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(Updated August 1, 2003)

 

 1903
BIRTHS AND DEATHS
MUST BE REPORTED.

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Physicians and Others to be So
Advised July 1.

     Beginning July 1, County Clerk Frank Shanks and, in fact, every county clerk in the state will distribute report books of births and deaths to the doctors of the county. Under the law recently passed by the legislature, all physicians, surgeons, accoucheurs or coroners are required to make reports of births or deaths coming under their personal observation.
     The following is the law in full:
     "Bill S. S. B. No. 168.--To be entitled, an act to carry into effect section 32 of article 16 of the constitution of the state of Texas in relations to a state board of health and vital statistics; to change the name of the quarantine department to the Department of Public Health and Vital Statistics, and to create and establish a state bureau of vital statistics within said department and to provide for the record and preservation of its vital statistics, etc.
     "Section 1. That a bureau of vital statistics is hereby created and established within the quarantine department, and that the name of said department is hereby changed to the department of public health and vital statistics.
     "Section 2. All physicians, surgeons or accoucheurs who may attend at the birth of a child, or in the absence of such attendance, either parent of the child shall report the fact to the clerk of the county court, together with the race to which the child belongs, and whether legitimate or otherwise, of foreign or native parents, whether still-born or alive, within ten days after said birth occurs, under a penalty of five dollars for each failure to do so; to be collected as other fines for misdemeanors are.
     "All physicians, surgeons, accoucheurs and coroners cognizant of a death, shall report the same, together with the race, nativity, sex, age, residence, whether alien or citizen, and the cause of death, to the clerk of the county court, within ten days after the occurrence, under a penalty of not less than five dollars, nor more than fifty dollars for each failure to do so; this data to be recorded as a part of the vital statistics of the county and state, and the clerk of the county court shall be paid by the county, twenty-five cents for each birth or death so recorded, and he shall report monthly all these data to the department of public health and vital statistics. In default of reporting, he shall be fined not less than fifty dollars for each offense.
     "The fact that there is no provision for, or system of preserving the vital statistics of the state, creates an emergency and an imperative public necessity that the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that this act takes effect and be enforced from and after its passage, and it is so enacted."

- June 28, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 2.
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THE NEW LAW IS
NOT COMPLIED WITH

________
Physicians and Midwives Laying
Themselves Liable

Special to The Times Herald.
     Austin, Aug. 29.-- There are many physicians and midwives in Texas who are laying themselves liable to a big fine for failure to report the number of deaths and births which come under their supervision in accordance with the requirements of the law passed by the twenty-eighth legislature providing that every physician and midwife must report to the county clerk the number of births which occur under their supervision.
     It is learned at the state health department that in many instances this law is not being obeyed and prosecutions may follow as a result. There are a number of counties that have wholly failed to turn in to the state health department a monthly report as is required by law, and these county clerks can not turn in the report unless they in turn get a report from the physicians and mid-wives as to the births which occur in their respective counties.
     There are many in Travis county who are not complying with the law. It is a notable fact that the physicians and midwives in the country districts are more apt to comply with the law than the physicians in the cities. During the month of August, there have been only twenty-four reports received by the county clerk, of deaths which have occurred, and twenty-five births, and a great majority of these are from the country districts. This law went into effect on July 1, and thus far, no complaints have been made, but it is learned that some are soon to follow unless conditions are greatly improved.

- August 30, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 13, col. 2-3.
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PREPARING RECORD
OF VITAL STATISTICS

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State Health Officer Compiling a
Valuable Book.

Special to The Times Herald.
     Austin, Tex., Sept. 19.--State Health Officer Blunt has in course of preparation, a book in which to keep an accurate record of the vital statistics furnished the health department, by the different county clerks of the state. These reports are very voluminous to compile, which would require an infinite amount of work.
     The record in process of publication will contain a record by counties, of all birth and deaths, causes, diseases, including accidents.
     Dr. Tabor says he hopes to have this book completed by January 1, 1904, and then he will be able to show the number of births and deaths of all ages by counties for each month, and thereby, he will determine the most fruitful cause of deaths in Texas. This is in accordance with an act passed by the last legislature.

- September 20, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 21, col. 2.
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THE DEATHS
AND BIRTHS.

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County Statistician Strupper
Makes an Interesting Report

_______
Births in August Exceed Those in
July, and There Were
Fewer Deaths.
Figures.

     J. J. Strupper, the vital statistician for Dallas county, appointed by County Clerk Frank R. Shanks, has completed his report for the month of August, which shows an increase in births and a decrease in deaths over the month of July.
     The total number of births was 273, against 247 for the preceding month. There were four pairs of twins born in August and Recorder Strupper is bewailing the fact that he cannot equal the showing made by Ellis county, where triplets were born.
     The number of males born last month was 145, as against 127 females. One birth was undetermined.
     There were 240 white infants and only 33 [coloreds] during August.
     Fourteen were born of foreign parentage and the native Americans number 259. There were 13 still-born infants. The illegitimates number 7 whites and 5 colored.
     Recorder Strupper says that 134 of the births were recorded during the first half of the month, while 139 were in the second half. Of the still borns, 9 were white and 4 were colored.
     Out of the total number of births, 121 were born in the city, 10 in the ninth ward and 142 in the country. Of the twins, 5 were males and 3 females.
     Recorder Strupper has delved further into his record books and has found the following facts: Of the 259 native born children, only 60 were given names on the birth certificates, and 16 of the 60 were named after their parents; of the 14 born of foreign parents, 8 were named. The children of foreign parents are represented as follows: Russian 2, German 5, English 1, Rumanian 1, Italian 2. The fathers and mothers who were of different nationalities are, respectively, Russian and Austrian, Prussian and German, and Scotch and English.
     The deaths number 92, against 113 for the month of July. The number of male deaths were 59 and the females 32, and one undetermined.
     The white deaths were 65, and the colored, 27. Only one alien died last month in the county.
     Fifty-one of the deaths were among citizens in Dallas, 6 in the ninth ward, 33 in the country and 2 non-residents.

- September 20, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 9, col. 3.
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THE COUNTY'S
GOOD HEALTH

______
County Clerk Shanks Fur-
nishes Vital Statistics
for October

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The Deaths Numbered 96, while
There were 236 births.
Some Interesting
Figures.

     The following vital statistics have been collected by the deputy county clerk for the month of October:
     Total deaths, 96
     Males, 46, females, 46.
     White, 75; colored, 21
     Aliens, 5; citizens, 91.
     The deaths are offset by 232 births during the month of October, divided as follows: Males, 114; females, 118; white, 217; colored, 15; foreign parents, 11; native parents, 221; still born, 6.
     The following is the birth record by districts:
     Births in Dallas, 90; births in Ninth ward, 8; births in county, 134.
     Whites in city, 82; colored in city, 8.
     Whites in county, 128; colored in county, 6.
     Whites in Ninth ward, 7; colored in Ninth ward, 1. Males in city, 44; females in city, 70.
     Males in county, 44; females in county, 74.
     Males in Ninth ward, 4; females in Ninth ward, 4
     Only forty-four of the births reported have been given names.
     The births for October are less than for the preceding months, which were: July, 247; August, 273; and September, 246. It will be noticed from the above table, the large percentage of female over male births. The births are in excess of the deaths as is shown by these figures: July, 113; August, 92; September, 100.
     Died in Dallas, 53; Died in Ninth ward, 1; died in county, 42.
     Four of the deaths in Dallas were non-residents.
     Deaths due to consumption were: County, 8; city, 7.
     Deaths due to diphtheria were: City, 1.
     Deaths due to typhoid fever were: county, 1; city, 2.
     Deaths due to membraneous croup were: County, 1; city, 2.
     The above records will compare favorably with that of any city in America of this size. There are few contagious diseases and the health of the city is comparatively good.

- November 22, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 9, col. 4.
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THE VITAL STATISTICS
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Population of Dallas County is on
the Increase.

     J. J. Strupper, statistician in the county clerk's office, has given out the following vital statistics for Dallas county for the month of February, which show that the county has increased its population by 258. Of this number, 124 were males and 134 were females, the number of whites being 232, while there are 26 colored babies.
     Those born of foreign parents numbered 7, and were of the following nationalities: Italian 1, Mexican 1, Polish 1, German 2, Russian 1 and Norwegian 1. the infants of American parents numbered 251.
     Nine babies came into the world lifeless. Of the children born, Dallas furnished 131, the county 117, and the ninth ward 10.
     Girl and boy twins were born in Dallas, while one pair of girl babies were born in the county.
     Of the children starting out into the world with names, 31 were males and 41 were females.
     With this addition to the population, the city and county lost 139 persons. Of this number, 82 were males and 57 were females. The whites suffered the most, there being 97 deaths to 42 of colored. Of these, 127 were citizens and 12 were aliens. Those dying in the city numbered 86, the county 41, ninth ward 6 and non-residents 5.
     Of the best known diseases, consumption claimed 7 in Dallas and 1 in the county; pneumonia claimed 28 in the city and 7 in the county; diphtheria, 1 in the county; meningitis, 2 in Dallas and 1 in the county; typhoid fever, 1 in Dallas, while bronchitis claimed 3.
     Of the aliens dying, 2 were Germans, 2 English, 1 Russian, 3 Irish, 2 Mexicans, 1 Canadian and 1 Swiss.
     Mr. Strupper says the physicians are very backward in sending in their reports and cause him a great deal of trouble and delay. All of the doctors in both the city and county are cordially invited to inspect the books, and Mr. Strupper will take pleasure in showing them the progress that has been made in this new work.

- March 20, 1904, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 11, col. 3.
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1908
VITAL STATISTICS
FOR MONTH OF MAY

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Births Outnumber Deaths Over One
Hundred.

     Vital Statistician Ruff Stansel, of County Clerk J. M. Gaston's force, has completed his report on the vital statistics of the county for the month of May.
     There were 172 births reported during the month, against 63 deaths, and of the latter, none were violent. Tuberculosis was the cause of 9 deaths, pneumonia of 4 and heart failure of 3.
     Of the one hundred and seventy-two births in county and city, 98 were males and 74 females; 151 were whites and 21, colored; 163 children were born to native parents and 9 to foreign-born persons. In the city, there were 91 children born, while 81 were born in the country. There were no non-resident parents. Of the total number of children, 33 were named at the time of reporting.
     Of the 63 deaths, 39 occurred in the city and 24 in the country. Fifty-two were white and 11 colored persons; 32 were males and 31 females. Sixty-two were citizens and one an alien.

- May 31, 1908, Dallas Daily Times Herald, Sec. II, p. 7, col. 5.
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1929
Classifieds
Personal and Business Notices

ROSEMERE suburban State licensed private maternity home. Particulars given in correspondence. Co-operate with licensed physicians. 222 E. Whittier st., San Antonio, Texas.

DIXON MATERNITY HOME

Retreat for confinement; babies adopted; nurse in charge. 3306 Carpenter. 4-1514.

COLONIAL MATERNITY HOME

For unfortunate girls; babies adopted; reasonable; licensed. 3213 Colonial. Phone 4-5550.

- June 16, 1929, Dallas Morning News, p. 6, col. 1.
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