certificate is superficially scanned and checked for omissions and discrepancies in the process of tabulating for the various items described under "Tabulation."

Notification of birth registration-Complete.-If the birth certificate received is complete, it is acknowledged by the filling out and mailing to the parents of a copy of Notification of Birth Registration stamped with the official seal of the health department. The notification form, furnished without charge by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce, is now being used by the District of Columbia. Prior to January 1, 1937, age statement forms were sent to the parents as evidence that the baby's birth certificate had been registered.

Incomplete. If the birth certificate received is incomplete, for example, the given name of the child is missing, a form letter is mailed to the parents requesting the missing supplementary information. When supplied to the bureau, a Notification of Birth Registration is sent to the parents.

Acknowledged. After each certificate has been acknowledged, either by issuing a Notification or mailing a supplementary request, it is stamped "Acknowledged" with a rubber stamp.

Supplementary information.-Supplementary information is received through the mail and over the counter.

Received through the mail at the registration desk.—The total number received during the day is sent along with the birth certificates to the permit room every evening, where the supplementary information is entered, completing the index of that birth certificate previously

indexed. When a supplementary report has been indexed, it is checked in red ink, indicating that the entry has been made. The following morning, upon return of the supplementary reports to the general office, a notification is mailed to the parents. The word "acknowledged" is then stamped on the supplementary report which is filed with and in front of the original birth certificate.

Over the counter.-When a supplementary report is returned in person, it is immediately acknowledged by giving the parent the notification of registration. This report is then stamped "Acknowledged.” At the end of the day, it is sent along with the reports received through the mail and the birth certificates to the permit room for indexing. The following morning the supplementary reports previously acknowledged (those received over the counter) are separated from those not acknowledged (those received through the mail) and filed with and in front of the original certificates.

Change of certificates.—Data on a certificate may be changed by the physician, parents, or by court order.

Physician.—The physician must furnish a signed statement authorizing any change on the certificate.

Parents. Upon the written signature of the parent, items relating to their personal knowledge such as occupation, age, etc., may be changed, with the exception of date of birth, sex, and legitimacy. Court order.-Upon court order, any item on certificate may be changed.

Delayed certificate.—A delayed certificate may be filed in one of three ways:

1. By physician or midwife in attendance.

2. Upon court order.

3. By a hospital from its records.

Filing and binding.—After acknowledgment, the birth certificates are arranged in numerical order according to the record number, in groups of 250, and placed in a temporary binder. Approximately 1 year afterward, the certificates are permanently bound (1937 certificates now in temporary binders will be permanently bound about December 1938). While delayed birth certificates are indexed as of the date of birth, the original certificate is filed and bound with the current birth certificate in accordance with the current record number assigned to it (see Numbering of certificate).

Age statements and certified copies.-Requests for age statements and certified copies of birth and death certificates are received through the mail and over the counter.

Age statements.-Age statements are issued only for births which occurred subsequent to March 1, 1907. The original certificate must be searched for and the information verified as to person before the

statement can be prepared. There is no written request required for age statements issued over the counter. Disposition of the requests received by letter from individuals, private and public agencies, is stated on the letter which is filed in the general office file for the entire District of Columbia Health Department. No record is kept of the total number of inquiries for age statements received by mail, over the counter, and by telephone.

The age statement is an abbreviated form that states the sex, parents' names, date of birth, name of attendant at birth, record number, and name of child registered in the District of Columbia.

Certified copies.-An application blank is filled out in duplicate and sent to the tax collector, to whom the fee of $0.50 is paid. He detaches and retains the duplicate and returns the original stamped “Paid” to the bureau of vital statistics, which is the written order to furnish the applicant with a certified copy. No cash is handled by the employees of the bureau; every fee is payable directly to the collector of taxes.

The original application form is attached to the letter of inquiry until the certified copy has been completed and mailed. It is then detached from the letter and filed by date of order. The disposition of the request is stated on the letter which is filed in the general office file for the entire District of Columbia Health Department. If, after searching the records, the original certificate cannot be found, the person making the request is advised that the record is not on file in the District of Columbia.

The certified copy is usually typed and is an exact copy of all information on the birth or death certificate. After verification, it is sent for signature by the Health Officer and the Chief Clerk. These signatures are fixed only during a definite interval every afternoon, usually between 3 and 3:30 p. m., after which the certified copies are returned to the bureau of vital statistics for mailing. This work has more than doubled in the last decade.

OFFICE PROCEDURES--DEATH CERTIFICATES

Receipt of certificates.—All death certificates are received in the permit room, and each certificate is checked for completeness, focusing special attention on duration of illness, attendance of physician, and cause of death. If a physician has not attended the patient within 10 days prior to death, or only once within that 10-day period, the certificate is automatically referred to the coroner. If the cause of death given is not included among the "natural" causes, the certificate is also referred to the coroner. Deaths due to contagious disease are reported to the bureau of preventable diseases.

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Permits.-Burial permits are issued upon presentation of complete death certificates. Bodies must be buried within 1 week after issuance thereof. The permits are numbered serially. Upon application, transit, disinterment, and reinterment permits are also issued. Numbering of certificates.-All death certificates are numbered by hand operation of the numbering machine. Both the death certificate and its corresponding burial permit are numbered simultaneously in the permit room and bear the same number. The record numbers are consecutive and continuous since August 1, 1874. The last record number issued on December 31, 1937, was 390,577. Except for the occasional discovery of a partially or wholly decomposed body, death certificates are filed within the time limit prescribed by law.

Indexing-General.-The death ledger volume is large enough to permit 5 years' entries to be made. It remains in the general office and is removed therefrom only on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of every week. It is sent, along with the death certificates, stillbirths, and foreign permits received during the preceding week, to be indexed by the clerk on night duty during these two evenings. Death certificates and foreign permits are indexed together in this volume. Death certificates for whites are indexed Tuesday evening; those for Negroes and other races, stillbirth certificates, and foreign permits are indexed on Wednesday evening. The ledger consists of three letter subdivisions under each of the 27 primary alphabetical guide tabs.