of London. William Farr and Rowe Edmonds developed the idea of vital statistics,
and, using Graunt’s data, they interpreted the health and welfare of the people (Eyler,
2002; Farr, 1852). In recent years the Framingham heart study, the community intervention
trials of fluoride supplementation in water, and the Surgeon General’s report
on smoking and health have been recognized for their contributions, signifying the
importance of health statistics.