STATISTICS, in its broader sense, refers to a body of methods for obtaining, organizing, and analyzing numerical facts. We should keep in mind that the application of statistical methods is not a sterile exercise. We collect and organize figures for a specific purpose. Generally, we are seeking answers to questions. Organizing the numerical facts in a situation helps us to understand many things about it that were not previously apparent. To illustrate this point, consider the record room of the typical general hospital. It is filled with thousands of patients' charts. They are very valuable records of the diagnosis and treatment of individual patients. However, the charts tell us very little about the characteristics of the patients as a whole. Only by pulling together relevant facts from all the records and organizing them in a systematic fashion can we begin to answer such pertinent questions as: What is the average number of days a patient stays in the hospital? How many beds must the hospital set aside for surgical, pediatric, or obstetric patients? How many autopsies are performed, and what percentage does this represent of the total number of deaths that occur in the hospital?