CHAPTER XXX.
Mortuary Reports and Vital Statistics.
Sec. 418. Health officer to be local registrar of vital
statistics—his duties.
The Health Officer shall be the local Registrar of vital statistics
for the City. He shall perform such duties as are or may
hereafter be prescribed by the State law or by the Council.
Sec. 419. Death certificates.
Whenever any person shall die within the City limits, it shall
be the duty of the physician who attended such person during
his or her last sickness, or of the Coroner, when the case comes
under his notice, to furnish, within twenty-four hours after the
same comes to the knowledge of said physician or Coroner, a
certificate of death to the local Registrar on forms prescribed by
the State law. Any physician or Coroner who shall neglect or
refuse to make the reports herein required, shall be fined not
less than $5.00 nor more than $25.00 for each offense.
Sec. 420. Burial permit.
No interment of the dead body of any human being, or disposition
thereof in any tomb, vault or cemetery, shall be made
within the City without a permit granted therefor by the Registrar,
nor otherwise than in accordance therewith, and no permit
shall be issued by the said Registrar for burial in private or
in places other than those provided and recognized as public
cemeteries; and no sexton, undertaker or other person shall assist
in, assent to, or allow such interment for which such permit
has not been given authorizing the same, and it shall be the
duty of every person having such permit, to preserve and return
the same to the Registrar. Any person violating this section
shall be fined not less than $5.00 nor more than $25.00.
Sec. 421. Permit for removal of dead bodies beyond
city limits.
No undertaker or other person shall remove the body of any
person who has died within the City limits to any place beyond
the City limits for the purpose of burial, without first procuring
a permit to do so from the local Registrar, under a penalty of not
less than $5.00 nor more than $25.00 for each offense.
Sec. 422. Retaining or exposing dead bodies.
No person shall retain or expose, or allow to be exposed or retained,
the dead body of any human being to the peril or prejudice
of the life or health of any person, under a penalty of not
less than $5.00 nor more than $15.00.
Sec. 423. Death of persons unattended by physician.
In case any person shall die within the City without the attendance
of a physician, or if the attending physician neglects or refuses
to furnish the certificate required, it shall be the duty of
any undertaker who may have charge of the burial, and the right
of any other person acquainted with the facts of the case, to report
the same to the Health Officer, who shall thereupon be authorized
to give the required certificate; provided it be not a case
requiring the attendance of the Coroner.
Sec. 424. Stillborn children.
Stillborn children and those dead at birth shall be registered as
births and also as deaths and a certificate of both birth and death
shall be filed with the local Registrar.
Sec. 425. Physicians and midwives to register.
It shall be the duty of all physicians and midwives practicing
in the City to register their names with the local Registrar.
Sec. 426. Report of births—births without attendance
of physician or midwife.
Every practicing physician or midwife in the City, under
whose charge or superintendence a birth shall hereafter take
place, shall file with the local Registrar a certificate of births as
required by the State law. In case the birth of any child shall
occur without the attendance of a physician or midwife, or should
no other person be in attendance upon the mother immediately
thereafter, it shall become the duty of the parent or parents of
such child to report its birth to the local Registrar within ten days
after the birth and it shall be the duty of the local registrar to secure
the necessary information and signature to make a proper
certificate of birth. Any person or persons who shall hereafter
fail to comply with the provisions of this section shall be subjected
to a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $10.00 for
each offense.
Sec. 427. Duty of keeper in charge of cemetery.
Every keeper or other person or officer in charge of any cemetery
or burial ground within the City shall make a weekly report
to the Health Officer of the number of bodies buried by him
during the preceding week and shall also return to said Health
Officer the permit required by section 420.
Sec. 428. Forms—permits—certificates.
The local Registrar shall supply forms, issue permits, require
proper certificates and keep records as may now or hereafter be
provided by state law, but the salary paid Registrar as Health
Officer shall be in lieu of all fees provided by state law.
